Registered health practitioners are reminded to check, correct and comply with their professional and legal advertising obligations. The National Boards and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) have published a strategy for the National Scheme to help keep health service consumers safe from misleading advertising.

AHPRA CEO Mr Fletcher said, “The National Law limits how regulated health services can be advertised. It is a professional obligation for registered health practitioners to advertise responsibly and support members of the community to make informed choices about their healthcare.”

Under the National Law, health service must not advertise in a way that:

• is false, misleading or deceptive
• uses gifts, discounts or inducements without explaining the terms and conditions of the offer
• uses a testimonial or a purported testimonial
• creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment, and/or
• directly or indirectly encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services.

Furthermore, it is prohibited for a health practitioner to be identified in advertising as a specialist when they do not hold registration as a specialist or as an endorsed practitioner in a health profession.

More articles on My Health Career:

• Kindness and compassion to avoid practitioner burnout and aid patient healing
• “Selfless Selfishness” – Putting yourself first financially IS caring for others – by Anthony Moncada
• 2015/16 summaries of AHPRA registration and notification information across Australia

Image: Stuart Miles – freedigitalphotos.net