The National Boards and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) have published an advance copy of the revised Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, along with an advance copy of an updated Advertising compliance and enforcement strategy for the National Scheme and an Evaluation snapshot, an overview of the evaluation of the strategy.

The guidelines have been revised to ensure that they effectively and clearly explain the requirements for advertising a regulated health service under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory.

The guidelines and strategy are being published in advance of them taking effect from Monday 14 December 2020. This will give advertisers and other stakeholders an opportunity to become familiar with the new information contained in the guidelines and strategy before they come into effect.

Summary of changes to the guidelines

Changes to the guidelines include:

• additional content about testimonials, titles and claims about registration, competence and qualifications
• new content about the evidence required for claims about effectiveness of a regulated health service and what is acceptable evidence
• re-structuring of the guidelines to reflect the sections of the National Law so that information is easier to find, and
• new flowcharts to help advertisers assess when advertising needs to be supported by acceptable evidence and whether a review is considered a testimonial.

Summary of changes to the strategy

Changes to the strategy include:

• recognition that false or misleading claims about a public health emergency such as COVID-19 may be identified as high risk (critical or major)
• revised education and engagement activities to support compliance
• introducing a new section to highlight Ahpra's compliance and enforcement approach to the prohibition on using testimonials in advertising, and
• introducing the staged implementation of a new proactive approach to audit of declarations practitioners will make at renewal of registration about their compliance with the advertising requirements.

**Resources to support the guidelines **

Ahpra's aim is to help everyone - practitioners, other advertisers and the public - be informed about the advertising requirements under the National Law. Website resources and information will be updated when the revised guidelines and strategy take effect on 14 December 2020.

You can find information about the advance copy of the guidelines and strategy at https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Publications/Advertising-resources.aspx.