What do health agencies promise you about the rules?

The main finding

Of 45 agencies, 20 say their work is compliant.

Only 3 of those 20 tell you the legal risk stays with you, the practitioner.

Who carries the risk

The risk stays with you.

AHPRA, the body behind the health ad rules, says you are responsible for your ads. So you need to check anything others write for you.

The badge

A compliant badge is the agency's own claim.

AHPRA cannot approve ads. So a badge is a claim an agency makes about itself. Of the 20 agencies, 12 did not explain any rule behind it.

Testimonials

Seven agencies offered patient testimonials.

None of the 7 mentioned that health ads cannot use testimonials. If you use them, the risk is yours.

Your sign-off

Only 1 of 13 made sign-off a rules check.

There were 13 agencies that described a step where you approve the work. The other 12 framed it as design, tone or edits. Your sign-off is your rules check.

Before you approve

Read each draft for 9 things.

Look at patient voices, promises, facts and titles. Look for words like 'best' and 'leading', and for offers, pressure, images and products.

What to do

Ask your agency for a claim list.

It should list every claim, one per line, with its source. Then note the draft version, the date and who approved it.

Tap for the full checklist