Ahpra Imposes Tough Advertising Penalties for Australian Cosmetic Clinics

Ahpra and the Medical Board of Australia commenced strict new guidelines for advertising higher-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures on September 2, 2025, with no transition period. For clinics, this means immediate exposure to hefty fines, with maximum penalties reaching AUD 60,000 for individual practitioners and AUD 120,000 for body corporates. The regulations completely prohibit patient testimonials about clinical care, which means you can no longer like, reply to, reshare, or link to patient reviews on social media or your website. Furthermore, any advertisement naming a specific practitioner must prominently display their registration details and registration number. The Therapeutic Goods Administration also tightly restricts advertising Schedule 4 prescription-only substances such as Botox, meaning clinics must carefully audit their digital footprint. Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner warned clinics to get their houses in order, signaling that enforcement will be swift. If you have an online presence targeting Australian patients, you must audit all social media channels, remove historical patient reviews, and update all staff bios to include formal registration numbers to avoid statutory penalties.

Source: Pabau, https://www.pabau.com/blog/ahpra-advertising-guidelines-for-cosmetic-procedures/