AHPRA compliance for healthcare marketing, rule by rule
No outcome testimonials, no before-and-after, no "best doctor" claims. Penalties reach $60,000 per offence.
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Correction, 26 August 2026. This page used to say there are seven AHPRA advertising rules. There are not. Section 133 of the National Law has five limbs, and Ahpra's own summary lists thirteen practical requirements. We explain the error and its source in Five limbs, thirteen requirements, and why everyone says seven.
If you market healthcare services in Australia, AHPRA compliance is not discretionary. Penalties reach $60,000 per offence for individuals and $120,000 for corporate entities, and the rules apply to every channel including social.
The five limbs of section 133
1. No testimonials referencing clinical outcomes. Patient stories are permitted; statements about treatment success are not — including reviews you quote on your own site.
2. No unsubstantiated claims. Every clinical claim needs evidence. "Best surgeon in Melbourne" without data is a breach.
3. No creating unreasonable expectations. No implied guarantee of outcome. Before-and-after imagery is heavily restricted and most uses fail.
4. No fear-based marketing. Campaigns trading on health anxiety breach the code even where the claim is accurate.
5. Strict title rules. Only practitioners holding specialist registration may use specialist titles.
6. Inducements require full terms. A free consultation offer must carry complete conditions in the same asset.
7. Social media is not exempt. Every platform is held to the print standard, including comments you leave up.
Why this suits an AEO practice
AHPRA enforces roughly what the Credibility pillar produces anyway: substantiated claims, verifiable credentials, no outcome promises. Compliance and E-E-A-T point the same direction, which means the compliance work is not overhead — it is the same work, documented.
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