Do health practitioners need to comply with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code?
A computed answer from the Rules Mate applicability engine, with the exact condition, the outcome for every structure and size, and the primary source.
Short answer: Only if
Only if you advertise therapeutic goods. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Health practitioners), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
The obligation in brief
Comply with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code. Part 5-1 Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code 2021 govern advertising to consumers. g.
Trigger: Promoting therapeutic goods to consumers.
Why health practitioners get a different answer
Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 32 of those industries the answer for "Comply with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code" is no. Health practitioners is one of the 3 where the answer is different: only if.
The deciding fact for health practitioners: Industry: Health practitioners; applies only if you advertise therapeutic goods.
About the industry: Registered health practitioners under the National Law.
Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires industry: Medical devices & therapeutic goods).
Answer by business structure and size
Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in health practitioners with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.
| Structure | No employees | 1–5 employees | 6–19 employees | 20–99 employees | 100–499 employees | 500+ employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Partnership | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Trust | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Pty Ltd company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Public company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Registered charity | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Super fund | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Foreign company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
What the obligation requires
- When due
- Continuous.
- Evidence to keep
- Advertising compliance check, internal approval workflow, influencer briefing.
- Maximum penalty
- Civil penalty up to $1.82M (individuals), $18.2M (corporations); criminal liability for serious offences
- Regulator
- TGA
- Jurisdiction
- Commonwealth (national)
Other obligations where health practitioners differ from the norm
- Comply with Medical Board CPD requirements (50 hours minimum): Yes
- Cosmetic surgery advertising standards (Medical Board reforms 2024-2025): Only if
- Cosmetic surgery practitioner endorsement (from 2025): Only if
- Maintain AHPRA registration and CPD: Yes
- Maintain controlled drugs register (Schedule 8 / 9): Only if
- Maintain PBS approval + claim accurately for PBS-listed medicines: Only if
- All 12 answers for health practitioners
Other industries with a non-default answer
Questions
- Do health practitioners need to comply with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code?
- Only if you advertise therapeutic goods. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Health practitioners), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
- Is the answer the same for every industry?
- No. For 32 of the 35 industries Rules Mate maps, the answer is no. Health practitioners is one of 3 industries with a different answer.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.