Stanislaus County health spa nurse in trouble with state board over giving drug to patients
The California Board of Registered Nursing is taking disciplinary action against a nurse practitioner in Stanislaus County, who is accused of furnishing a controlled substance to medical spa clients without a prescription from a physician.
The board accusation alleges that registered nurse Gifty Aidoo used ketamine hydrochloride in performing platelet-rich plasma hair restoration treatments on clients.
Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance under state law, requiring an order or prescription from a physician for medical use. The nursing board investigation concluded that Aidoo furnished ketamine to clients without a prescription from a supervising doctor. In addition, the health spa did not have standardized procedures for use of ketamine.
Aidoo has worked as a nurse practitioner and certified injector at the Aesthetic Lab, a medical spa offering Botox, fillers, skin rejuvenation and other services at offices in Modesto and Turlock. Aidoo is scheduled for an Oct. 16 hearing on the state allegations.
According to the nursing board, Aidoo also furnished a 30-day supply of a compound containing ketamine to two clients in July and April 2021 and to a third patient in March 2022.
Tracy Green, a Los Angeles attorney representing Aidoo, said the state accusation is misleading. Her client has been a nurse practitioner since 2011 and has the ability to write prescriptions.
“She denies doing anything improper,” Green said. “She was a minority owner under the supervision of a practitioner who was the majority owner. Her understanding was that she was within the parameters set up for the practice.”
Green said no medical harm was done to clients.
Ketamine is an anesthetic for putting patients to sleep for surgery. It’s also used to control pain during tests or medical procedures.
According to the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, ketamine has become a “popular and controversial analgesic” for acute and chronic pain, such as for people with cancer or burn injuries. Misuse of ketamine may cause hallucinations, disorientation, high blood pressure, increased heart rate and worse effects.
The American Med Spa Association reported last year that ketamine, a medication dating to the 1950s, has seen a resurgence in reducing a patients’ agitation after a nose job or other cosmetic surgeries.
A Johns Hopkins primer for people considering platelet-rich plasma to promote hair growth says the scalp is first numbed before the plasma is injected. Johns Hopkins Medicine gives the patient a lidocaine injection to numb the scalp.
Anonymous complaint to board
The nursing board investigation stemmed from an anonymous complaint in October 2021 that Aidoo prescribed ketamine to clients without proper supervision.
The board accusation says Aidoo admitted during the investigation she used ketamine for clients getting the hair restoration treatment.
The supervising physician for the Aesthetic Lab clinics told a state investigator he wasn’t aware ketamine was used at the clinics. The physician said it was not documented in patient charts he had reviewed.
According to the licensing board, Aidoo is subjected to disciplinary action on grounds of unprofessional conduct, violation of regulations and unauthorized practice of medicine.
Loretta Melby, the nursing board’s executive director, is asking for revocation or suspension of Aidoo’s registered nursing license and nurse practitioner certificates. The board also could order her to pay for costs of the investigation and enforcement action.
Green said an oral form of ketamine was given to Aesthetic Lab patients because of the pain associated with the hair restoration process and also was given to clients in a 30-day supply for use at home.
The attorney said the nursing board often asks for surrender of the license in disciplinary cases. Green said Aidoo is more likely to receive a reprimand or probation because of no prior violations. “She has been cooperative with the board and the issue is whether there was adequate supervision,” Green said.
Aidoo has parted ways with the previous majority owner and continues to work at the Aesthetic Lab clinics under the supervision of another doctor, Green said.
