A Queensland cosmetic nurse has been banned from practising for two years after a tribunal found she injected a patient with Botox without consulting a doctor or obtaining a prescription, and then took steps to cover up her actions.

According to ABC News, the national health regulator, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), discovered that Thia Jayne Sullivan unlawfully administered a formulation of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox,  when she did not have the required medical oversight or script, a serious breach of professional standards.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) heard that Ms Sullivan also created false records about the cosmetic treatments she provided and urged patients not to cooperate with a police investigation into her conduct, ABC News reported.

AHPRA investigations earlier revealed that the board had placed conditions on her nursing registration in 2019, including a prohibition on administering cosmetic injectables, after concerns about her practice. However, those conditions were not obeyed, and her registration was suspended in February 2020 due to suspected non-compliance.

The tribunal’s findings showed that Ms Sullivan continued to work as a nurse and provide restricted injectable treatments in 2020 and 2021, even while she was suspended. It was also alleged that she attempted to dissuade at least two patients from assisting police in their investigation.

In 2022, Ms Sullivan pleaded guilty in a Brisbane court to charges including not being endorsed to possess a restricted drug and administering a restricted drug without lawful authority, reflecting the unlawful nature of her cosmetic procedures.

Following a hearing in September 2025, QCAT found all six allegations against her proven and determined she had engaged in professional misconduct, a decision that emphasised the need to protect public safety and deter similar conduct among other practitioners.

Under the tribunal’s order, Ms Sullivan’s nursing registration has been cancelled, and she is banned from re-applying for registration until 29 September 2027. She is also prohibited from providing any health service, including cosmetic injectables, until she lawfully regains registration.

AHPRA Chief Executive Justin Untersteiner said that the decision was a clear example of regulators acting to protect patients and uphold clinical standards in the cosmetic injectables industry, which has drawn increased regulatory attention in recent years due to safety concerns.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia also emphasised that cosmetic injectables such as Botox are prescription-only medicines that must be used only within lawful practice, and patients should confirm that practitioners are properly registered before undergoing treatment (turn0search11; turn0search34).