Going independent as a nurse injector in Alberta comes down to seven things, in roughly this order: your competence, your prescriber, your protocols, your insurance, your product, your space, and your business setup. The second one is where Alberta differs from other provinces, so this page spends the most time there.
This is general information, not regulatory, legal, or tax advice. Nurses in Alberta are regulated by the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) for RNs and NPs, and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) for LPNs. Confirm your own obligations with the CRNA or CLPNA, your insurer, and an accountant before you open.
The Alberta part: your prescriber
RNs, LPNs and Registered Psychiatric Nurses need an order from an authorized prescriber for a prescription treatment such as a neuromodulator. That prescriber is your Medical Director. In Alberta the prescriber can be a physician or a Nurse Practitioner, and does not have to be on the premises. What is not optional is that every client is genuinely assessed and has a client-specific order. The Alberta nursing colleges say so in their joint guideline on injectable aesthetic therapies, which also expects you to have additional education before you inject. The detail is in can a nurse inject Botox in Alberta.
Alberta is a province we are still building, and right now it has more practices asking than directors. Send your request early: requests are matched as directors join.
The seven steps
- Be honest about your competence. A certificate alone does not make you ready to practise alone. If you are new, or adding fillers to a neuromodulator practice, get supervised hands-on time first. We match injectors with experienced trainers.
- Secure your prescriber. See above. Do this carefully rather than quickly, and vet anyone you consider with the vetting checklist.
- Put your protocols in writing. Consent, contraindications, aftercare and complications, including what you do for a suspected vascular occlusion and who you call. Your prescriber approves them.
- Get insurance that names what you do. Professional liability coverage that explicitly includes aesthetic injectables. Coverage that is silent about cosmetic procedures is not coverage for them.
- Set up product with your prescriber. In Alberta this is written down: a nurse has no authority to order prescription drugs directly from a manufacturer, and only an authorized prescriber can procure them. So product ordering runs through your Medical Director from day one. Plan for refrigerated storage, an emergency kit, and charting that records the product and lot number.
- Choose a space you can keep clinical. Clean surfaces, hand hygiene, sharps disposal, and a way to handle an emergency on the spot. Outside a hospital or an accredited facility, a setting that offers cosmetic injections in Alberta also has to meet the province's Personal Services Regulation and standards.
- Set up the business side. Decide with an accountant whether to incorporate, and open a separate business account. Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so the federal GST is the one to plan for once your taxable revenue passes the small-supplier threshold. Before you market anything, read your college's expectations on advertising.
Calgary and the rest of Alberta
Whether you are in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer or Lethbridge, the steps are the same and the first real obstacle is the same: finding a prescriber who will provide proper oversight. Tell us where you practise and what you offer, and we look for a verified physician or NP who fits. Matching is free for injectors. See Calgary, Edmonton and Medical Directors in Alberta.
For how Alberta compares with everywhere else, see the rules by province. The original version of this guide is starting an injectables practice in Ontario.
The hardest step, done for you.
Tell us where in Alberta you practise and what you offer. We introduce verified physicians and Nurse Practitioners who fit. Free for injectors.
Get matched, free Get the vetting checklistAre you a physician or Nurse Practitioner? Practices in Alberta and Manitoba are waiting for a Medical Director. See what the role involves, or go straight to Alberta or Manitoba. Know one? Introduce them.
Alberta questions
Can a nurse open their own injectables practice in Alberta?
Yes. A nurse in Alberta can run their own practice. For a prescription treatment such as a neuromodulator they need a client-specific order from an authorized prescriber, a physician or Nurse Practitioner, and every client needs a genuine assessment.
Do I need a Medical Director to start an injectables business in Alberta?
If you are not a prescriber yourself, yes. You need a physician or Nurse Practitioner to assess clients and issue orders, which is the role a Medical Director fills. A Nurse Practitioner can generally prescribe within their own scope.
Does my Medical Director have to be on-site in Alberta?
No. In Alberta the prescriber can be remote, provided each client is genuinely assessed and has a client-specific order.
How do I find a Medical Director in Alberta?
Send one request to Plus One MD with your registration, what you offer and where you practise. We check each physician and Nurse Practitioner against their college and introduce the ones who fit. It is free for injectors. Alberta is a province we are still building, so requests are matched as directors join.
General information for nurses in Alberta, not medical, legal, regulatory, tax, or compliance advice. Plus One MD is not affiliated with or endorsed by any college or drug manufacturer. Confirm current requirements with your own college and qualified advisors.