{"id":30913,"date":"2026-05-14T07:13:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/?p=30913"},"modified":"2026-07-20T16:37:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:37:21","slug":"ethics-cpd-requirements-australian-pharmacists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/ethics-cpd-requirements-australian-pharmacists\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethics CPD Requirements for Australian Pharmacists in 2026: AHPRA Renewal Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"30913\" class=\"elementor elementor-30913\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a068f70 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a068f70\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ada0854 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" 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.pricing-title{font-size:22px;}}\r\n\r\n.hec-au-blog .related-box{background:var(--bg);border:1px solid var(--border);border-radius:6px;padding:22px 24px;margin:32px 0;}\r\n.hec-au-blog .related-label{font-size:11px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--text-light);margin-bottom:12px;display:block;letter-spacing:.8px;}\r\n.hec-au-blog .related-link{display:block;padding:10px 14px;background:white;border:1px solid var(--border);border-left:3px solid var(--yellow);border-radius:4px;text-decoration:none;color:var(--text);font-weight:500;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:6px;}\r\n.hec-au-blog .related-link:hover{border-left-color:var(--yellow-dark);color:var(--yellow-dark);}\r\n.hec-au-blog .related-link:last-child{margin-bottom:0;}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"header\">\r\n  <div class=\"header-inner\">\r\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom:14px;\">\r\n      <span class=\"category-tag\">Social Media &amp; Online Conduct<\/span>\r\n      <span class=\"country-tag\">\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa Australia<\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <h1>Social Media Notifications to AHPRA: Licence Risks for Australian Osteopaths in 2026<\/h1>\r\n    <p class=\"subtitle\">What the Osteopathy Board of Australia considers a social media breach, the content categories carrying the highest notification risk for osteopaths, and practical safeguards for your professional online presence<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"top-alert\">\r\n  <span class=\"top-alert-text\">Concerned about your online professional conduct? Courses covering social media professionalism for Australian osteopaths<\/span>\r\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/product\/any-10-online-courses\/\" class=\"top-alert-btn\">See Bundle Offer &rarr;<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"container\">\r\n  <div class=\"intro-box\">\r\n    <p>Australian osteopaths are regulated health practitioners under AHPRA and the Osteopathy Board of Australia, a distinction that matters significantly when it comes to social media. Unlike in some other jurisdictions where osteopathy is largely unregulated, Australian osteopaths are bound by the same National Law advertising standards and professional conduct obligations as doctors, nurses, and dentists. Social media content that makes unsubstantiated claims, uses patient testimonials, or misrepresents the evidence base for osteopathic treatment can trigger a notification. This guide explains where the risk lies and how to manage it.<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"article\">\r\n\r\n    <h2>What AHPRA and the Osteopathy Board Consider a Social Media Breach<\/h2>\r\n    <p>AHPRA's social media guidance for Australian health practitioners is grounded in two frameworks: the <em>Health Practitioner Regulation National Law<\/em>, specifically section 133, which governs advertising of regulated health services, and the Osteopathy Board of Australia's <em>Code of Conduct<\/em>, which sets out the professional standards expected of all registered osteopaths including in their online conduct.<\/p>\r\n    <p>A social media notification to AHPRA can arise from a single post, a pattern of posts over time, or a complaint made by a patient, colleague, employer, or any member of the public, including someone who encounters the content without following the account. The most common categories of social media conduct that trigger AHPRA notifications for Australian osteopaths are:<\/p>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li><strong>Patient testimonials and before-and-after photos.<\/strong> Section 133 of the National Law explicitly prohibits the use of testimonials in advertising a regulated health service. This means an osteopath cannot publish, share, or solicit patient reviews or testimonials about their services on any platform, including Google, Facebook, Instagram, or their own website. Before-and-after photographs of patients are also regulated and can be treated as testimonials in certain contexts. This rule is Australia-specific and stricter than the approach in many other jurisdictions.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Unsubstantiated health claims.<\/strong> AHPRA's advertising guidelines require that all claims made in health advertising be accurate, evidence-based, and capable of being substantiated. Posts that make unqualified claims about treatment efficacy, \"osteopathy cures infant colic,\" \"our treatment eliminates chronic pain in one session\", breach the advertising guidelines even where the osteopath genuinely believes the claim.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Breaches of patient confidentiality.<\/strong> Sharing images, case details, or any information that could identify a patient without their explicit written consent is a breach of both the National Privacy Principles and the Osteopathy Board's professional standards. This includes posts that are intended to be anonymised but contain enough detail to identify the patient, clinical photographs without faces, case descriptions with unusual presenting features, or geographical details that narrow identification.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Health misinformation.<\/strong> AHPRA has been increasingly willing to act on notifications about practitioners who spread health misinformation, content that contradicts established clinical consensus on vaccination, infectious disease management, or other public health matters. The Osteopathy Board has issued specific guidance on this following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the risk of notification for misinformation-type content is real and ongoing.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Boundary violations through social media.<\/strong> Engaging with current patients through direct messaging, accepting patient friend or follow requests on personal accounts, or conducting clinical conversations through social media platforms can constitute a professional boundary violation under the Osteopathy Board's standards. The fact that the interaction is digital does not reduce its regulatory significance.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Unprofessional conduct online.<\/strong> Posts that are abusive, discriminatory, sexually inappropriate, or that otherwise fall below the standard expected of a registered osteopath can trigger a notification regardless of whether they involve advertising or patient information. The Osteopathy Board expects the same professional conduct online as in person.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n\r\n    <!-- COURSE CARD -->\r\n    <div class=\"course-card\">\r\n      <div class=\"course-card-header\">\r\n        <h3>Professional Ethics Courses for Australian Osteopaths, Social Media &amp; Online Conduct<\/h3>\r\n        <p class=\"card-sub\">Online &mdash; Immediate Access &mdash; Australian Content<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"course-card-body\">\r\n        <span class=\"card-section-label\">Most Relevant for This Topic<\/span>\r\n        <ul class=\"card-features\">\r\n          <li class=\"primary-course\">\r\n            <span class=\"card-marker\"><\/span>\r\n            <span class=\"course-name\">Social Media Professionalism and Boundaries for Healthcare Professionals<\/span>\r\n            <span class=\"primary-badge\">\u2b50 Most Relevant<\/span>\r\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/courses\/social-media-professionalism-and-boundaries-for-healthcare-professionals\/\" class=\"enrol-btn primary-btn\">Enrol Now &rarr;<\/a>\r\n          <\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n        <span class=\"card-section-label\">Supporting Courses for Osteopaths<\/span>\r\n        <ul class=\"card-features\">\r\n          <li><span class=\"card-marker\"><\/span> Professionalism and Professional Standards for Osteopaths <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/courses\/professionalism-and-professional-standards-for-osteopaths\/\" class=\"enrol-btn\">Enrol Now &rarr;<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><span class=\"card-marker\"><\/span> Professional Boundaries Course <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/courses\/professional-boundaries-course\/\" class=\"enrol-btn\">Enrol Now &rarr;<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><span class=\"card-marker\"><\/span> Confidentiality in Healthcare Practice <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/courses\/confidentiality-in-healthcare-practice-2\/\" class=\"enrol-btn\">Enrol Now &rarr;<\/a><\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n        <span class=\"card-section-label\">Australian Osteopath Resources<\/span>\r\n        <ul class=\"card-features\">\r\n          <li><span class=\"card-marker\"><\/span> All Ethics Courses for Australian Osteopaths <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/ethics-professional-development-courses-osteopaths\/\" class=\"enrol-btn\">View Page &rarr;<\/a><\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/courses\/social-media-professionalism-and-boundaries-for-healthcare-professionals\/\" class=\"card-cta\">Enrol in the Social Media Professionalism Course &rarr;<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"pricing-section\">\r\n      <div class=\"pricing-label\">PRICING<\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"pricing-title\">Three Ways to Save<\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"pricing-title-bar\"><\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"pricing-grid\">\r\n        <div class=\"pricing-card\">\r\n          <div class=\"pricing-icon pricing-icon--muted\">\r\n            <svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#B8820A\" stroke-width=\"2\"><rect x=\"3\" y=\"3\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" rx=\"3\"\/><path d=\"M9 9h6M9 12h6M9 15h4\"\/><\/svg>\r\n          <\/div>\r\n          <div class=\"pricing-tier\">Individual Course<\/div>\r\n          <div class=\"pricing-price\">AU$99<\/div>\r\n          <div class=\"pricing-sub\">Per course &middot; 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The focus has been on aesthetic medicine, cosmetic surgery, and other fee-for-service fields where social media marketing is heaviest, but general practitioners and specialists are not exempt. The testimonials prohibition is enforced strictly, and the expectation that practitioners actively manage testimonials on third-party platforms has been reinforced through guidance updates.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Misinformation remains an active priority.<\/strong> Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Osteopathy Board issued specific guidance on the obligations of registered practitioners regarding health misinformation. Practitioners who published content contradicting public health guidance on vaccination, treatment protocols, or disease transmission faced notifications and, in serious cases, conditions on registration. AHPRA has indicated this remains an active area of concern in 2026.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>The personal account defence does not work.<\/strong> A recurring pattern in AHPRA notifications involving social media is the practitioner's belief that content posted on a personal account, not a practice account, is beyond AHPRA's jurisdiction. This is incorrect. Multiple tribunal decisions have confirmed that conduct on personal social media accounts can amount to professional misconduct where it reflects on the practitioner's fitness to practise or breaches professional standards.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Screenshots are permanent.<\/strong> Deleting a post after it has been noticed does not prevent a notification. Screenshots circulate rapidly and AHPRA does not require the content to remain online to assess it. Practitioners who delete content after a complaint is made may face additional concerns about honesty and transparency in the regulatory process.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n\r\n    <h2>Patient-Identifying Content and Confidentiality Breaches Online<\/h2>\r\n    <p>The obligation of confidentiality extends fully to an osteopath's online conduct. Sharing any information that could be used to identify a patient without their explicit written consent is a breach of both the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), as it applies to health information under the Australian Privacy Principles, and the Osteopathy Board's professional standards.<\/p>\r\n    <p>In practice, the risk of inadvertent identification is higher than many osteopaths appreciate. Content that does not appear to identify a patient when considered in isolation may identify that patient to anyone who knows them, family members, friends, colleagues, or the patient themselves. Courts and tribunals have consistently held that the standard for confidentiality is not whether the patient is identifiable to a general audience, but whether they are identifiable to anyone.<\/p>\r\n    <p>The categories of online content most likely to breach patient confidentiality include clinical photographs of any kind (even where faces are obscured), case descriptions with unusual or rare presenting features, posts about specific procedures that narrow the identifiable patient cohort, and references to events or locations that could allow identification. Written consent, specific, informed, and documented, is required before any patient-related content is posted, regardless of how well-anonymised it appears.<\/p>\r\n\r\n    <h2>Misinformation, Scope of Practice, and Advertising Under Section 133<\/h2>\r\n    <p>Section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law is the primary legislative framework governing how Australian osteopaths can advertise their services online. Its requirements apply to all advertising of a regulated health service, a term that AHPRA interprets broadly to include any content that promotes a health service, whether or not it is formally labelled as advertising.<\/p>\r\n    <p>The advertising rules under section 133 that most commonly give rise to social media notifications for Australian osteopaths are:<\/p>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li><strong>The testimonials prohibition.<\/strong> No testimonial about a regulated health service may be used in advertising. This includes published patient reviews, quotes from patients about outcomes, video testimonials, and star ratings or review scores where the context is advertising the service. It is irrelevant whether the testimonial is positive or that the patient consented to its publication, the prohibition is absolute under the National Law.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>The requirement that claims be accurate and capable of substantiation.<\/strong> Any claim about a treatment, its efficacy, its safety profile, or the outcomes associated with it must be accurate and capable of being substantiated by evidence. Claims such as \"guaranteed results,\" \"proven to cure,\" or \"90% of our patients see improvement\" require documentary evidence and, if that evidence does not exist, must not be made.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>The prohibition on comparative advertising that could mislead.<\/strong> Claims that compare one practitioner's services or results favourably with those of other practitioners, or that use comparative language without a proper evidential basis, can breach the advertising guidelines.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Scope of practice claims.<\/strong> Advertising a service that is outside a practitioner's registered scope of practice, or using a protected title or specialty designation to which they are not entitled, breaches both the advertising guidelines and the National Law's registration requirements.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n\r\n    <h2>Boundary Violations on Instagram, TikTok, and X<\/h2>\r\n    <p>The platforms where AHPRA notification risk from social media is highest for Australian osteopaths in 2026 are Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), in that order. Each platform creates specific risk vectors that practitioners should understand.<\/p>\r\n    <p>Instagram's visual format creates the highest risk of patient-identifying content through clinical photographs and before-and-after images, and the platform's commercial incentive structure encourages testimonial-type content that breaches the National Law. For osteopaths, Instagram creates specific risk through posts about systemic conditions, infant health claims, and treatment outcome images that imply efficacy beyond what the evidence base for osteopathic treatment supports.<\/p>\r\n    <p>TikTok creates risk primarily through health information content. Short-form video is highly shareable and can spread misinformation rapidly. Practitioners who create medical content for TikTok audiences must ensure every health claim is accurate, evidence-based, and does not contradict established clinical consensus. The platform's algorithm also creates risk by placing an osteopath's content in front of audiences who may take it as clinical advice, a context issue that AHPRA has regard to in assessing whether conduct amounts to unprofessional practice.<\/p>\r\n    <p>X (formerly Twitter) creates risk primarily through interpersonal conduct, public disputes, comments about patients or colleagues, and statements about clinical or public health matters that may be read as professional positions even where they are expressed casually. The Osteopathy Board does not make a distinction between an osteopath's conversational posts and their formal public statements when assessing whether conduct meets the expected professional standard.<\/p>\r\n\r\n    <!-- CTA MID -->\r\n    <div class=\"cta-box\">\r\n      <h3>Protect Your Registration: Understand Your Online Professional Obligations<\/h3>\r\n      <p>Our Social Media Professionalism course covers AHPRA's advertising guidelines, the testimonials prohibition, confidentiality online, and practical safeguards, written for Australian health practitioners, available online with immediate access.<\/p>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/courses\/social-media-professionalism-and-boundaries-for-healthcare-professionals\/\" class=\"cta-btn\">Enrol in the Social Media Course &rarr;<\/a>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <h2>Practical Safeguards for Your Professional Online Presence<\/h2>\r\n    <p>The most effective approach to social media risk for Australian osteopaths is not to avoid social media entirely, it is to use it with a clear understanding of the applicable rules and a set of consistent practices that reduce the likelihood of a breach. The following safeguards directly address the most common sources of AHPRA social media notifications:<\/p>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li><strong>Apply a professional standard review before posting.<\/strong> Before posting any content on any platform, ask: would I be comfortable if this appeared in evidence before the Osteopathy Board? If not, do not post it. This single discipline eliminates the vast majority of social media notification risk.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Do not publish patient testimonials under any circumstances.<\/strong> Even where a patient has specifically asked you to share their review or testimonial, the National Law prohibits its publication. Explain this to patients who make the request, they will generally understand when the legal position is explained.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Document consent for any patient-related content before posting.<\/strong> If you intend to publish clinical photographs or case information, obtain specific, informed written consent from the patient before the content is prepared, not after. Consent must be specific to the type of content, the platform, and the potential audience.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Regularly audit your profiles for testimonials and compliance.<\/strong> Review all platforms you manage or contribute to at least quarterly. Look for testimonials posted by patients or third parties, claims that may no longer be accurate, and content that could be read as identifying a patient. Flag any testimonials on third-party platforms through the platform's reporting process.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Maintain a clear boundary between personal and patient relationships online.<\/strong> Do not accept follow or friend requests from current patients on personal accounts. Do not respond to clinical questions through direct messages on social media. If a patient contacts you through social media about a clinical matter, direct them to call the practice and do not engage with the clinical question online.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong>Be especially careful with health information content.<\/strong> If you create general health information for social media, ensure every claim is accurate, evidence-based, and consistent with established clinical consensus. Include a clear statement that the content is general health information and not a substitute for professional medical advice for individual circumstances.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n    <h2>Systemic Conditions, Infant Health, and Evidence-Based Claims: An Osteopath-Specific Risk<\/h2>\r\n    <p>Australian osteopaths face a social media notification risk that is specific to their profession: claims about the benefits of osteopathic treatment for conditions beyond the musculoskeletal system. Posts claiming that osteopathy treats infant colic, improves immune function, addresses ear infections, or manages systemic health conditions are among the most commonly notified categories of osteopathic social media content.<\/p>\r\n    <p>The Osteopathy Board's position is clear: claims about treatment efficacy must be accurate and capable of substantiation by reliable evidence. For conditions where the evidence base for osteopathic treatment is limited or contested, making efficacy claims on social media exposes the practitioner to both an advertising notification under section 133 and a conduct notification for spreading health misinformation.<\/p>\r\n    <p>The practical rule: post only what you can substantiate. If you would struggle to produce peer-reviewed evidence for a claim at short notice, do not make that claim on social media. This applies with particular force to infant health, paediatric conditions, and systemic health conditions that are outside the core musculoskeletal scope of osteopathic practice.<\/p>\r\n\r\n    <h2>Key Regulatory Resources for Australian Osteopaths on Social Media<\/h2>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahpra.gov.au\/Resources\/Advertising-hub.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AHPRA Advertising Hub<\/a><\/strong>, AHPRA's central resource on advertising guidelines under the National Law, including specific guidance on social media, testimonials, and online content.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osteopathyboard.gov.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Osteopathy Board of Australia<\/a><\/strong>, The National Board responsible for regulating Australian osteopaths. The Osteopathy Board's Code of Conduct includes specific expectations for professional online behaviour.<\/li>\r\n      <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/avant.org.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Avant Mutual<\/a><\/strong>, Australia's leading medical defence organisation. Avant provides medico-legal support for practitioners who receive social media notifications and can advise on the appropriate response process.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n\r\n    \r\n    <div class=\"related-box\">\r\n      <span class=\"related-label\">Related Reading<\/span>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/ahpra-social-media-policy-2026\/\" class=\"related-link\">AHPRA Social Media Policy 2026 &rarr;<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/can-social-media-posts-lead-to-ahpra-suspension\/\" class=\"related-link\">Can Social Media Posts Lead to AHPRA Suspension? &rarr;<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/how-australian-health-practitioners-can-stay-compliant-on-social-media\/\" class=\"related-link\">How Australian Health Practitioners Can Stay Compliant on Social Media &rarr;<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/how-to-avoid-an-ahpra-notification-for-social-media-misconduct\/\" class=\"related-link\">How to Avoid an AHPRA Notification for Social Media Misconduct &rarr;<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/ahpra-notification-response-osteopaths\/\" class=\"related-link\">How to Respond to an AHPRA Notification, Osteopaths &rarr;<\/a>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"clean-cta\">\r\n      <div class=\"clean-cta-inner\">\r\n        <div class=\"clean-cta-text\">\r\n          <p class=\"clean-cta-heading\">Understand your social media obligations before a notification arises<\/p>\r\n          <p class=\"clean-cta-body\">Online with immediate access. Certificate on completion. Written for Australian healthcare professionals under AHPRA standards.<\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"clean-cta-links\">\r\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/courses\/social-media-professionalism-and-boundaries-for-healthcare-professionals\/\" class=\"clean-cta-btn\">Social Media Professionalism Course &rarr;<\/a>\r\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/au\/ethics-professional-development-courses-osteopaths\/\" class=\"clean-cta-secondary\">All ethics courses for Australian osteopaths &rarr;<\/a>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\r\n\r\n    <details class=\"faq-item\">\r\n      <summary>Can a social media post trigger an AHPRA notification against an Australian osteopath?<\/summary>\r\n      <div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Yes. AHPRA can receive notifications about social media conduct from patients, colleagues, or any member of the public. Posts that breach patient confidentiality, contain prohibited testimonials, make unsubstantiated health claims, spread health misinformation, or constitute unprofessional conduct can all trigger a notification to the Osteopathy Board.<\/p><\/div>\r\n    <\/details>\r\n\r\n    <details class=\"faq-item\">\r\n      <summary>Are testimonials and patient reviews prohibited for Australian osteopaths on social media?<\/summary>\r\n      <div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Yes. Section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law prohibits the use of testimonials in advertising a regulated health service. This applies to all online platforms. Osteopaths cannot solicit, publish, or share patient testimonials, and are expected to take reasonable steps to remove testimonials that appear on platforms they manage.<\/p><\/div>\r\n    <\/details>\r\n\r\n    <details class=\"faq-item\">\r\n      <summary>What counts as advertising under the National Law for social media?<\/summary>\r\n      <div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>AHPRA takes a broad view. Any content that promotes a regulated health service, including posts about your practice, approach, fees, or availability, is considered advertising subject to the National Law's advertising requirements. This includes personal accounts if they promote your health services.<\/p><\/div>\r\n    <\/details>\r\n\r\n    <details class=\"faq-item\">\r\n      <summary>Can Australian osteopaths post health information on social media?<\/summary>\r\n      <div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Yes, but all health claims must be accurate, evidence-based, and consistent with established clinical consensus. Clearly distinguish general health information from specific clinical advice, and avoid making claims you cannot substantiate. Content that contradicts established public health guidance, on vaccination, for example, carries real notification risk.<\/p><\/div>\r\n    <\/details>\r\n\r\n    <details class=\"faq-item\">\r\n      <summary>What does AHPRA expect about patient reviews on Google?<\/summary>\r\n      <div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>AHPRA expects practitioners to take reasonable steps to remove or report testimonials on platforms they control. For third-party platforms like Google, osteopaths cannot remove reviews themselves, but should not actively solicit or encourage them, and should flag testimonials that breach the National Law through the platform's reporting processes.<\/p><\/div>\r\n    <\/details>\r\n\r\n    <details class=\"faq-item\">\r\n      <summary>Can I be reported to AHPRA for posts on my personal social media account?<\/summary>\r\n      <div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Yes. AHPRA's jurisdiction is not limited to professional or practice accounts. A notification can arise from posts on a personal account if the content reflects on fitness to practise, breaches patient confidentiality, constitutes advertising of a health service, or amounts to unprofessional conduct. The personal account framing is not a defence.<\/p><\/div>\r\n    <\/details>\r\n\r\n    <details class=\"faq-item\">\r\n      <summary>What should I do if I receive an AHPRA notification about social media conduct?<\/summary>\r\n      <div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Contact your indemnity insurer, your professional indemnity insurer, immediately. Do not delete the posts subject to the notification without legal advice. Preserve screenshots of the content as it appeared at the time. Prepare your written response within the stated deadline, typically 30 days, with your insurer's guidance.<\/p><\/div>\r\n    <\/details>\r\n\r\n    <details class=\"faq-item\">\r\n      <summary>What are the most common AHPRA social media notification triggers for Australian osteopaths?<\/summary>\r\n      <div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>The most common triggers are: patient testimonials or before-and-after photos on practice social media; unsubstantiated claims about treatment efficacy; posts that disclose identifiable patient information without consent; health misinformation; boundary violations involving patient interactions online; and advertising that does not comply with section 133 of the National Law.<\/p><\/div>\r\n    <\/details>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"callout-box muted\" style=\"margin-top:36px\">\r\n      <span class=\"box-label\">Disclaimer<\/span>\r\n      <p>This guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have received an AHPRA notification, contact your professional indemnity insurer, or a solicitor experienced in regulatory proceedings before taking any steps. Verify current AHPRA advertising guidelines at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahpra.gov.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ahpra.gov.au<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><!-- \/.hec-au-blog -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b667ed8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"b667ed8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Social Media &amp; Online Conduct \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa Australia Social Media Notifications to AHPRA: Licence Risks for Australian Osteopaths in 2026 What [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"normal-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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