The Medical Board of Australia has developed codes and guidelines to guide the profession. These also help to clarify the Board's expectations on a range of issues. The Board has approved codes and guidelines on the following:
Codes and guidelines
Document |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Date of approval |
Date of effect |
Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia |
PDF (174 KB) |
Web page |
27 May 2020 |
1 October 2020 |
Guidelines - Registered health practitioners and students in relation to blood-borne viruses |
PDF (80.5KB) |
Word version
(939 KB,DOCX) |
26 February 2020 |
6 July 2020 |
Guidelines: Sexual boundaries in the doctor-patient relationship
|
PDF (78.8KB) |
Web page |
29 August 2018 |
12 December 2018 |
Guidelines: Mandatory notifications about registered health practitioners* |
PDF (250 KB) |
Web page |
27 November 2019 |
1 March 2020 |
Guidelines: Mandatory notifications about registered students** |
PDF (150 KB) |
Web page |
27 November 2019 |
1 March 2020 |
Guidelines: Telehealth consultations with patients
For more information see the news item.
|
PDF (81 KB)
|
Web page |
24 May 2023 |
1 September 2023 |
Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service
|
PDF (192 KB) |
Web page |
22 April 2020 |
14 December 2020 |
Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery and procedures
For more information see the news item and FAQ
|
PDF (148 KB) |
Web page |
22 February 2023 |
1 July 2023 |
Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who advertise cosmetic surgery
For more information see the news item and FAQ
|
PDF (140 KB) |
Web page |
22 February 2023 |
1 July 2023 |
Advance copy: Guidelines for advertising higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures
|
PDF (217 KB)
|
Web page
|
26 March 2025
|
2 September 2025
|
Guidelines - Short-term training in a medical specialty for international medical graduates who are not qualified for general or specialist registration
|
PDF (103KB) |
Web page |
24 September 2014 |
1 July 2016 |
Guidelines - Supervised practice for international medical graduates
Further information about supervision is available on the Supervision page. |
PDF (146KB) |
Web page |
25 March 2015 |
4 January 2016 |
Social media: How to meet your obligations under the National Law |
|
Web page |
|
Regularly updated |
Medicinal cannabis prescribing: How to meet your obligations under the National Law |
|
Webpage |
|
Regularly updated |
Guideline - Informing a National Board about where you practise |
PDF (152 KB) |
Word version
(590 KB,DOCX) |
|
1 August 2018 |
Position statements
Document |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Date of approval |
Date of effect |
Joint statement on professional responsibilities for prescribing and dispensing medicines |
PDF (354 KB)
|
Webpage |
_ |
3 June 2024 |
Facilitating access to care in a COVID-19 environment: Guidance for health practitioners |
PDF (208 KB) |
Word version
(120 KB, DOCX) |
24 November 2021 |
21 December 2021 |
No place for sexism, sexual harassment or violence in healthcare |
PDF (205KB) |
Word version
(120 KB,DOCX) |
28 April 2021 |
30 June 2021 |
Frameworks
† The Supervised practice framework was updated in April 2023 to reflect the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia adopting the framework from 1 April 2023 and in November 2024 to reflect the Pharmacy Board of Australia adopting the framework for restrictions relating to supervised practice for health, conduct or performance concerns for pharmacists holding general registration only from 29 November 2024.
Policies
Document |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Date of approval |
Date of effect |
Common Protocol - Informing notifiers about the reasons for National Board decisions |
PDF (91.8KB) |
Word version
(58.6 KB,DOCX) |
30 July 2018 |
1 August 2018 |
Policy: Supervised practice requirements for specialist registration
|
PDF (146 KB)
|
|
25 September 2024
|
21 October 2024
|
Policy: Orientation requirements for specialist registration
|
PDF (128 KB)
|
|
25 September 2024
|
21 October 2024
|
Policy: Cultural safety education requirements for specialist registration
|
PDF (138 KB)
|
|
25 September 2024
|
21 October 2024
|
Policy directions
Under Section 11 of the National Law, as in force in each state and territory, the Ministerial Council may issue a National Board with policy directions.
Document |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Date of issue |
Date of effect |
Policy Direction 2019-01 - Paramountcy of public protection when administering the National Scheme
Policy Direction 2019-02 - Requirements to consult with patient safety bodies and health care consumer bodies on every new and revised registration standard, code and guidelines |
PDF
(2.34MB) |
|
31 October - 1 November 2019 |
8 January 2020 |
Registration
Document |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Document date |
Medical registration - what does it mean? Who should be registered? |
PDF (1018KB) |
|
15 March 2012 |
FAQ and Fact Sheets
For further information please refer to the FAQ and Fact Sheets page.
Retired versions
Document |
PDF |
Date of effect |
Retired version: Guidelines for technology based patient consultations
Information on inter-jurisdictional technology based patient consultations |
PDF (74.5 KB)
PDF (66.9 KB)
|
To 31 August 2023 |
Retired version: Cosmetic surgery advertising obligations under the National Law
|
|
To 30 June 2023 |
Retired version: Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic medical and surgical procedures
|
PDF (78.9KB) |
To 30 June 2023 |
Retired version: Guidelines for advertising regulated health services |
PDF (155 KB) |
To 13 December 2020 |
Retired version: Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia |
PDF (138 KB) |
To 30 September 2020 |
Retired version: Guidelines for mandatory notifications |
PDF (149KB) |
To 29 February 2020 |
Retired version: Social media policy |
PDF (62KB) |
To 10 November 2019 |
Retired version: Sexual boundaries: guidelines for doctors |
PDF (110KB) |
To 12 December 2018 |
Retired version: Guidelines for supervised practice for limited registration |
PDF (546KB) |
To 3 January 2016 |
Retired version: Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia |
PDF (518KB) |
To 16 March 2014 |
Retired version: Guidelines for advertising of regulated health services |
PDF (451KB) |
To 16 March 2014 |
Retired version: Guidelines for mandatory notifications |
PDF (412KB) |
To 16 March 2014 |
*The Guidelines: Mandatory notifications about registered health practitioners have been updated on 29 June 2020 to include minor formatting and word changes and changes to the flowcharts on pages 20, 22 and 26 of the guidelines.
**The Guidelines: Mandatory notifications about registered students have been updated on 29 June 2020 to include minor formatting and word changes and sections 39 and 40 of the National Law in Appendix A.
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