New Vic guidelines on advertising medical services

New Advertising Guidelines restricting advertising of medical services have been released for public comment in Victoria by the president of the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria, Dr Joanna Flynn.

“The Board believes that some further restrictions are necessary to protect the public,” Dr Flynn said. “Medical advertising has the potential to create unrealistic consumer expectations and can lead to unnecessary, excessive or otherwise inappropriate use of medical services,” she said.

The current Advertising Guidelines have been in place since 2004 and were developed at the request of the Minister for Health.

The Board is seeking comment from the community, the profession and other stakeholders about key changes to the Guidelines, which include:

· ruling out the use of graphic or visual representations (‘before and after’ images)
· restricting gifts and endorsements through advertising
· requiring practitioners to state clearly their qualifications and credentials
· ruling out the use of language in advertising that encourages unnecessary use of medical services or refers to a person improving their appearance
· preventing medical practitioners devolving responsibility for advertising to a third party
· ruling out comparisons with other medical services
· clarifying doctors – ethical responsibility to avoid advertising that may be interpreted as attempting to profit or take advantage of the public’s more limited understanding of medical services
· requiring doctors to clearly communicate the risk of procedures

The Board is seeking comment on the Guidelines through an online survey published on the Board’s website at www.medicalboardvic.org.au

The Draft Guidelines are open for comment until 7 August 2007.