Connecticut medical director requirements for med spas

Physician supervision & delegation in Connecticut

Connecticut names, by statute, exactly who may perform a cosmetic medical procedure in a medical spa: the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse the spa employs or contracts with, or a registered nurse. The active-practice and training-plus-experience requirements attach to the physician, physician assistant and advanced practice registered nurse the spa engages — the statute adds the registered nurse separately, without restating those conditions. Failing to supervise a physician assistant adequately is a separate ground for restricting a physician’s license. The cosmetology chapter then says what an ESTHETICIAN may not do: esthetics means skin-care services — cleansing, toning, stimulating, exfoliating or similar procedures using cosmetic preparations, hands, devices, apparatus or appliances to enhance or improve the appearance of the skin, makeup application, lash and brow work, and manual or mechanical hair removal — and EXCLUDES the use of a prescriptive laser device, the performance of a cosmetic medical procedure as defined in the medical spa statute, and any practice, activity or treatment that constitutes the practice of medicine. The medical spa statute’s non-exhaustive list of cosmetic medical procedures names dermaplaning, dermastamping, dermarolling and dermabrasion that removes cells beyond the stratum corneum, as well as class II devices designed to induce deep skin tissue alteration.

• Each medical spa shall employ or contract for the services of a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 370, a physician assistant licensed pursuant to chapter 370, or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed pursuant to chapter 378. Each such physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse shall be actively practicing in the state and have received education or training from an institution of higher education or professional organization to perform cosmetic medical procedures and have experience performing such procedures.

  Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-903c(b) (Medical spas) · verified Sep 3, 2026

• Any cosmetic medical procedure performed at a medical spa shall be performed in accordance with the provisions of this title and title 20, and shall only be performed by such physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, or a registered nurse licensed pursuant to chapter 378.

  Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-903c(b) · verified Sep 3, 2026

• Connecticut classes laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, laser treatment of leg veins, other laser procedures and intense pulsed light as cosmetic medical procedures, and such a procedure performed at a medical spa may only be performed by the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse the spa employs or contracts with, or by a registered nurse licensed pursuant to chapter 378.

  Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-903c(a)(2), (b) · verified Sep 3, 2026

• The board is authorized to restrict, suspend or revoke the license or limit the right to practice of a physician for failure to adequately supervise a physician assistant.

  Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-13c(7) · verified Sep 3, 2026

• “Esthetics” means services related to skin care treatments, (A) including, but not limited to, cleansing, toning, stimulating, exfoliating or performing any similar procedure on the human body while using cosmetic preparations, hands, devices, apparatus or appliances to enhance or improve the appearance of the skin; makeup application; beautifying lashes and brows; or removing unwanted hair using manual and mechanical means, and (B) excluding the use of a prescriptive laser device; the performance of a cosmetic medical procedure, as defined in section 19a-903c ; any practice, activity or treatment that constitutes the practice of medicine;

  Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-265a(4) (“Esthetics” defined — exclusions) · verified Sep 7, 2026

• A cosmetic medical procedure may include, but is not limited to, cosmetic injections, cosmetic soft tissue fillers, dermaplaning, dermastamping, dermarolling, dermabrasion that removes cells beyond the stratum corneum, chemical peels using modification solutions that exceed thirty per cent concentration with a pH value of lower than 3.0, and the use of class II medical devices designed to induce deep skin tissue alteration.

  Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-903c(a)(2) (the derma- procedures named as cosmetic medical procedures) · verified Sep 7, 2026

• Delegated functions shall be implemented in accordance with a written delegation agreement between the supervising physician and the physician assistant; the supervising physician shall establish the terms of the agreement, which must include a description of the professional relationship, identification of the medical services the physician assistant may perform, a description of how the physician assistant's prescribing of controlled substances is documented in the medical record, and a description of the process by which the supervising physician evaluates the physician assistant's performance; and the supervising physician shall review the written delegation agreement not less than annually.

  Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-12d(a) · verified Sep 8, 2026

• A physician assistant practicing under a temporary permit may practice only in those settings where the supervising physician is physically present on the premises and is immediately available to the physician assistant when needed, and the permit does not authorize the holder to prescribe or dispense drugs.

  Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-12b(a) (Temporary permit) · verified Sep 8, 2026

Recent Connecticut changes

• CT HB05399: An Act Concerning Dentistry.Apr 9, 2026