Checking your own ads
AHPRA is the body behind the health ad rules. Its guidelines print a top penalty of $5,000 in 2 places. The current top penalty is $60,000.
Where you would look
One is the section on penalties. The other is an appendix with the text of the law. Both still say $5,000 for a person and $10,000 for a company.
The current law
For a person, the top penalty rose from $5,000 to $60,000. For a company, it rose from $10,000 to $120,000. These apply across Australia from July 2024.
AHPRA says so itself
AHPRA says it will update them when they are next reviewed. You will find that note in a news panel, away from the section on penalties.
The whole test
It bans false or misleading ads, and offers without terms. It bans testimonials and raising false hope of a good result. It also bans pushing care people do not need.
The check most clinics get wrong
A testimonial is praise for the clinical side of your care. Comments about your customer service or how you talk to patients do not count.
A separate risk
Using a protected title wrongly is a separate offence from a bad ad. The guidelines state up to $60,000 for a person, up to 3 years in jail, or both.
Where it has to come off
Where the word surgeon must go, it must come off all your ads. That means your site, socials, letterheads, business cards and clinic windows.
What this is not
This is not legal advice, and neither are the guidelines. AHPRA says it cannot give legal advice or approve ads. A dated self-check is the record you can show.
Tap for all 12 checks, each tied to its rule.