The 2022 shared Code of conduct: advertising and social media

The shared Code of conduct for 12 professions took effect on 29 June 2022. Here is what it says about advertising, social media and conflicts.

29 June 202211 min read

On 29 June 2022, a revised shared Code of conduct took effect for registered health practitioners in 12 professions, including dental practitioners, physiotherapists, pharmacists, chiropractors, optometrists, osteopaths, occupational therapists, paramedics and podiatrists. It replaced the National Boards’ previous code for those professions.

The code is not an advertising rulebook. Ahpra’s announcement focused on cultural safety, clinical governance and workplace guidance. But the code has a dedicated advertising section, it applies to conduct on social media, and it sets expectations on conflicts of interest and selling products that affect how practices market themselves. Boards use it when assessing a practitioner’s conduct after a complaint, so it matters for your marketing as much as the advertising guidelines do.

Status as at October 2026: the 2022 shared code is still in force. On 17 September 2026, Ahpra and the National Boards started a review of the codes of conduct, including the shared code, with an early scoping survey that closed on 15 October 2026. No revised code has been released yet. Separately, interim guidance on managing financial or commercial conflicts of interest was published in September 2026 while the codes are under review. We cover that guidance in a separate article.

What changed

Ahpra announced on 29 June 2022 that a “revised and more contemporary” code had come into effect that day. The code was developed by 12 National Boards under section 39 of the National Law. Ahpra described the main updates as:

revised and expanded content on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and cultural safety
greater clarity on clinical governance responsibilities for those in leadership roles
more guidance for practitioners and employers to resolve disagreements within the workplace.

The code lists its date of issue as June 2022 and says it will be reviewed from time to time, generally at least every five years. National Boards also published supporting resources, including case studies and summaries in multiple languages.

The announcement did not describe any new advertising rules. The advertising obligations themselves come from section 133 of the National Law and the Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, which took effect in their current form on 14 December 2020. What the code does is restate those obligations as a professional standard, and add expectations about online conduct and commercial dealings.

Who it applies to

The shared code applies to registered practitioners in these professions:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice
Chinese medicine
chiropractic
dental
medical radiation practice
occupational therapy
optometry
osteopathy
paramedicine
pharmacy
physiotherapy
podiatry.

It does not apply to medicine, nursing, midwifery or psychology. Doctors are covered by the Medical Board’s Good medical practice, the 2020 version of which took effect on 1 October 2020. Nurses and midwives have their own Nursing and Midwifery Board codes. Psychologists have had a Psychology Board code of conduct since 1 December 2025.

If your practice is multidisciplinary, for example a clinic with GPs, physiotherapists and a dietitian, different practitioners will be assessed against different codes. The advertising rules in the National Law apply to all of them equally.

The code also defines “practice” broadly. It is not limited to direct clinical care and includes management, administration, advisory and other roles that affect the safe delivery of health services. A registered practitioner who owns or manages a practice is still covered when making business decisions, including about marketing.

What the code requires

Advertising (section 8.5)

Section 8.5 says advertisements for services “can provide useful information to patients”. It then restates the core advertising limits: advertising should not be false, misleading or deceptive, use testimonials about clinical aspects of a regulated health service, create an unreasonable expectation of benefit, or encourage the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services. Advertising that offers a gift, discount or other inducement must state the terms and conditions in plain language.

The code describes good practice as complying with the National Law’s advertising requirements, as explained in the advertising guidelines, and with relevant Commonwealth, state and territory laws on consumer protection, fair trading and therapeutic goods advertising. It also says good practice includes making sure any promotion of therapeutic products is ethical.

The practical effect is that a breach of the advertising rules is not only a potential offence under section 133. For a registered practitioner, it is also conduct that the Board can assess against the code. Ahpra’s enforcement strategy makes the same point: a breach of the advertising provisions by a registered practitioner is also a breach of the advertising guidelines and code of conduct, and is grounds for disciplinary action.

Conduct on social media and online

The code says its professional values and behaviours apply in every setting, including in person, in technology-based consultations including online and remote prescribing, and electronically, for example on social media. Its definition of social media is wide. It names social networking sites, blogs (including anonymous ones), business search and review sites, microblogs, content-sharing sites such as YouTube and Instagram, and discussion forums.

Several specific expectations follow from that:

Privacy (section 3.3): do not transmit, share, reproduce or post any person’s information or images, even if the person is not directly named or identified, without first getting written and informed consent. The code points to Ahpra’s social media guidance here.
Respectful communication (principle 3): practitioners should communicate with all patients respectfully and meet privacy and confidentiality obligations, including when communicating online.
Colleagues (section 5.1): behave professionally and courteously toward colleagues and other practitioners at all times, including on social media.
Bullying and harassment (section 5.3): the code notes social media is sometimes used to bully or harass, and practitioners should not engage in, ignore or excuse that behaviour.

Conflicts of interest (section 8.10)

This section is directly relevant to commercial marketing arrangements. Good practice includes that practitioners:

inform patients when they have an interest that could affect, or be perceived to affect, patient care
recognise that pharmaceutical and other marketing may influence practitioners, and avoid their practice being adversely influenced by it
do not ask for or accept inducements, gifts or hospitality from companies selling pharmaceuticals or other products that may affect how they prescribe, treat or refer
do not offer inducements to colleagues or enter arrangements that could be perceived to provide inducements
if they employ other registered practitioners, do not set performance targets, quotas or business practices that are inconsistent with the code or may compromise patient safety.

Financial and commercial dealings (section 8.11)

The code says practitioners must be honest and transparent in financial arrangements with patients. It lists not exploiting patients’ vulnerability or lack of knowledge when providing or recommending services, and declaring to patients any professional and financial interest in any product or service the practitioner might endorse or sell from the practice, without making an unjustifiable profit from the sale or endorsement.

Section 4.2 on informed consent also covers financial consent: discussing fees appropriately and addressing the costs of all required services, preferably before the service is provided.

Work history and qualifications (section 8.8)

Practitioners should give accurate, truthful and verifiable information about their work history, experience and qualifications, and should not misrepresent them by misstatement or omission. This sits neatly beside the advertising guidelines’ rules on titles, specialist claims and qualifications, and it applies to how practitioners describe themselves in bios and profiles.

What it means for your marketing

Website

Practitioner bios are where section 8.8 bites. Check that experience, qualifications and roles are stated accurately and can be verified. If your site sells products, or promotes products the practitioner has an interest in, the code expects that interest to be declared to patients. Treatment pages still need to meet the advertising guidelines on evidence, testimonials and expectations.

Google Business Profile and reviews

Replying to reviews is a form of online communication covered by the code’s privacy expectations. A reply that confirms someone is a patient, or mentions their treatment, can disclose information about them. Keep replies general and invite the person to contact the practice directly.

Social media and influencers

The code’s reach extends to personal and professional accounts. Posting patient images or details, even unnamed, needs written and informed consent first. Commenting on colleagues or competitors needs to stay professional and courteous. If a practitioner promotes a product or brand on social media, the conflict of interest and endorsement expectations in sections 8.10 and 8.11 are relevant, along with the advertising and therapeutic goods rules.

Ahpra’s social media guidance, which the code refers to, says the National Law, the code of conduct and the advertising guidelines all apply on social media just as they do in person. It recognises practitioners’ freedom of expression, including advocacy, provided it does not involve abuse or discrimination or present a risk to the public.

Paid ads and email

Section 8.5 applies to all advertising channels. Inducement offers need plain-language terms. Practice owners who employ practitioners should also look at whether marketing targets, such as booking quotas tied to campaigns, could push practitioners toward business practices inconsistent with the code.

Printed and in-clinic material

Product displays and in-clinic promotions are commercial dealings with patients. Where a practitioner has a financial interest in a product sold at the practice, the code expects that interest to be declared.

Common mistakes we see

Treating the code as separate from marketing, when section 8.5 restates the advertising rules as a professional obligation.
Posting clinical photos or case details where the patient “can’t be identified”, without written consent. The code covers images even when the person is not directly named or identified.
Review replies that confirm a person was treated or discuss their care.
Practitioner bios that inflate experience, imply roles not held, or leave out context.
Product promotions with no disclosure of the practitioner’s financial interest.
Sales or booking targets for employed practitioners that sit uneasily with the code’s conflicts of interest section.

A practical checklist

Confirm which code applies to each practitioner you promote: shared code, Good medical practice, the nursing and midwifery codes, or the psychology code.
Check every advertisement against section 8.5 and the advertising guidelines.
Get written and informed consent before posting any patient image or information, including unnamed or cropped images.
Set a review reply policy that avoids confirming patient status or discussing treatment.
Audit practitioner bios for accurate, verifiable work history and qualifications.
List any products or services practitioners endorse or sell, and make sure interests are declared to patients.
Review incentive, target and quota arrangements for employed practitioners.
Make sure inducement offers state their terms in plain language.
Brief staff who post on the practice’s behalf about the code’s social media expectations.

How this fits with other rules

The code says it is not a substitute for legislation, and that where the code and the law conflict, the law takes precedence. Advertising itself is governed by section 133 of the National Law, explained in the advertising guidelines. Therapeutic goods advertising is regulated by the TGA, and consumer protection and fair trading by the ACCC and state agencies, which the code names in section 8.5. Privacy obligations under the Privacy Act and state health records laws sit alongside the code’s confidentiality expectations. Under section 41 of the National Law, Boards can use the code to evaluate a practitioner’s conduct when a notification is made.

Frequently asked questions

Does the shared code apply to doctors?

No. It does not apply to medical practitioners, nurses, midwives or psychologists. Doctors follow the Medical Board’s Good medical practice, which took effect in its 2020 version on 1 October 2020. The advertising rules in the National Law still apply to everyone.

Did the 2022 code introduce new advertising rules?

Ahpra’s announcement did not describe any. Section 8.5 restates the existing advertising limits and links them to the advertising guidelines and other legislation. The significance is that breaching them is also measured against the code.

Does the code cover a practitioner’s personal social media?

The code says its values apply in every setting, including electronically on social media, and Ahpra’s social media guidance says the code applies online just as it does in person. The guidance also says practitioners will not be investigated purely for holding or expressing their views on social media, but discrimination, privacy breaches and misleading information can lead to action.

Can we post patient photos if faces are hidden?

The code says not to post any person’s information or images, even if they are not directly named or identified, without first getting written and informed consent. Advertising rules on before and after images also apply.

Is the shared code being replaced?

A review started on 17 September 2026, covering the shared code and the Medical Board and Nursing and Midwifery Board codes. The scoping survey closed on 15 October 2026. Until a revised code is published, the 2022 code applies.

Need a hand?

If you want your practitioner bios, social channels and review replies checked against the code and the advertising guidelines, our AHPRA compliance audit covers each channel. For practices whose team posts on social media, our compliance training walks staff through the privacy and advertising expectations. Dental practices can also see our page for dentists.

This article is general guidance based on the published rules, not legal advice. Final responsibility for advertising sits with the registered practitioner, and complex situations may need independent legal advice.