What's an offence under the National Law?

Section 113 of the National Law provides information on protected titles and who may carry out restricted acts. Section 97 of the National Law also outlines the use of the title ‘acupuncturist’.

The National Law restricts the use of protected titles. This means that it is unlawful for someone to knowingly or recklessly take or use a title to make someone believe they are registered in one of the health professions listed below, as well as other practices including using a specialist title when the person does not have specialist registration.

It is also unlawful for someone to lead someone to believe that another person is registered in a health profession from the list below.

Restricted dental acts

Section 121 of the National Law outlines more details on the restricted acts and who may carry out the restricted acts.

Restricted dental acts include irreversible procedures on the teeth, jaw and associated structures. Under the National Law, restricted dental acts can only be carried out by individuals who are:

• a registered dental or medical practitioner 
• a dental or medical student performing the procedure as part of an approved program of study 
• ordered to do so by a dentist or dental prosthetist, or 
• authorised to carry out the act generally.

Restricted prescription of optical appliances

Section 122 of the National Law outlines more details on the restricted acts and who may carry out the restricted acts.

Optical appliances are those that are designed to correct, remedy or relieve any refractive abnormality or sight defect, including:

• spectacle lenses, and 
• contact lenses (whether or not they are designed to correct, remedy or relieve).

Under the National Law, a restricted prescription of optical appliances can only be carried out by individuals who are:

• a registered optometrist or medical practitioner 
• an orthoptist (whose name is recorded in the Register of Orthoptists and if the appliance is spectacles) who prescribes the spectacles according to the requirements set out in the National Law, or 
• authorised to prescribe the optical appliance generally.

Restricted spinal manipulation

Section 123 of the National Law outlines more details on the restricted acts and who may carry out the restricted acts.

Manipulation of the cervical spine means moving the joints of the cervical spine beyond a person’s usual physiological range of motion using a high velocity, low amplitude thrust. Under the National Law, a person must not perform manipulation of the cervical spine unless they are:

• registered in an appropriate health profession 
• a student performing the manipulation as part of an approved program of study, or 
• authorised to perform the procedure generally.

The National Law defines ‘appropriate health profession’ as:

• chiropractic 
• osteopathy 
• medical, and 
• physiotherapy.

Section 116 and 118 of the National Law provides information on ‘holding out’ and making claims about registration.

Under the National Law, it’s unlawful to knowingly or recklessly claim to be a registered health practitioner, when you are not. We call this ‘holding out’.

This can include using a title, name, initial, symbol, word or description which could be reasonably understood to indicate that an individual is a health practitioner or qualified to practise in a registered health profession.

Section 116 of the National Law also makes it an offence to knowingly or recklessly:

• hold yourself out to be registered in a division of a health profession when you are not;
• claim to be qualified to practice as a health practitioner.

The National Law also makes it an offence for a person to claim that another individual is a registered health practitioner when they are not.

Section 118 of the National Law makes it an offence for a person to claim to be a specialist practitioner, if the person is not registered in that recognised specialty. It is also an offence to claim someone else is registered in a particular profession or division or holds specialist registration, when they do not.

Under the National Law, a person must not advertise a regulated health service or a business providing a regulated health service in a way that:

• is false, misleading or deceptive
• uses gifts, discounts or inducements without the terms and conditions of the offer
• uses a testimonial or purported testimonial
• creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment, or
• directly or indirectly encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services.

National Boards have published advertising guidelines on their website which apply to each regulated health profession. You can view information about advertising on our Advertising hub page.

It’s important to note that it is not an offence for a person, as part of their business, to print or publish an advertisement for another person.