Guide
Canadian health advertising rules for practice websites
A plain language guide to what a regulated health practice in Canada may and may not say on its website. It is written for practice owners, not lawyers, and it is conservative on purpose. Each College publishes its own standard and updates it; this guide names the themes that recur across them and tells you where to look. Before relying on any point, check the current version of your own College's standard. This is not legal advice.
Ten principles that recur across Colleges
- Accurate and verifiableEvery statement of fact must be true and capable of being verified. Years in practice, services offered, hours, languages, credentials. If you cannot prove it, do not say it.
- No superlativesBest, leading, top rated, number one, premier, most experienced. Nearly every College standard treats these as unverifiable comparative claims. Replace them with specifics: what you do, for whom, since when.
- No guaranteesNo promised outcomes, cure rates, or results. Describe the service and the consultation. Let the clinician talk about outcomes with the patient.
- No comparisons with other practitionersDo not name or imply comparison with other practices or professionals. Describe your own practice.
- Testimonials: usually notMost health Colleges in Canada prohibit or heavily restrict patient testimonials and endorsements in advertising, and several treat online reviews you republish as testimonials. Check your standard before quoting any patient. When in doubt, leave them off.
- Titles and specialtiesUse only the titles, designations, and specialty claims your College permits. A general practitioner is not a specialist. Protected titles and abbreviations are defined by each College.
- FeesSome Colleges require that advertised fees include everything the patient will pay and that the service be described precisely. Some restrict discounts and inducements. Check before publishing a price.
- Prescription drugsUnder the Food and Drug Regulations, prescription drugs may be advertised to the public only by name, price, and quantity. No benefits, no indications, no promotion. This applies to every profession's website, not only pharmacies.
- ImagesBefore and after photographs are restricted or prohibited by several Colleges. Stock images of people in lab coats are not prohibited, but they are not evidence of anything either. Real photographs of your practice and team, with consent, are stronger.
- PrivacyThe privacy policy must describe what the site actually collects and does. Forms should collect the minimum. Health information should never travel by plain email.
Profession by profession
| Profession | What to watch | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacists | Watch for prescription drug promotion on service pages (weight management, skin, sexual health, smoking cessation), claims about pharmacist prescribing beyond your province's scope, and drug price advertising that does not follow the rules. Testimonials are restricted or prohibited in most provinces. | Your provincial College of Pharmacists: CPBC, ACP, SCPP, CPhM, OCP, OPQ, NBCP, NSCP, PEI College of Pharmacy, NLPB. |
| Physicians | Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons publish detailed advertising standards covering testimonials, comparative claims, specialty designations, uninsured services, and block fees. Descriptions of cosmetic and uninsured services attract particular attention. | CPSBC, CPSA, CPSS, CPSM, CPSO, CMQ, CPSNS, and the equivalent in each other province. |
| Dentists | Among the strictest on testimonials, before and after imagery, superlatives, and specialty claims. Fee advertising rules are specific. | BCCOHP, CDSA, RCDSO, ODQ, and the dental regulator in each other province. |
| Physiotherapists | Outcome claims, testimonials, and comparative statements are the usual problems. Titles and registration must be stated accurately. | CHCPBC (BC), College of Physiotherapists of Alberta, College of Physiotherapists of Ontario, OPPQ, and the equivalent in each other province. |
| Naturopathic doctors | Claims to treat, cure, or prevent named conditions are tightly restricted. Testimonials are generally prohibited. Terminology is regulated. | CCHPBC (BC), CNDA (Alberta), CONO (Ontario), and the equivalent in each other province. |
| Nurses and nurse practitioners | Protected titles and scope of practice must be stated as the College permits. Testimonials and guarantees follow the general rules. | BCCNM, CRNA, CNO, OIIQ, and the nursing regulator in each other province. |
What this means for your website, page by page
| Page | What applies |
|---|---|
| Home | Say what you do, for whom, and where. No superlatives. No testimonials unless permitted. |
| About and team | Names, credentials, registration, and areas of practice as the College permits. No implied specialties. |
| Services | Describe the service and what happens at the visit. No outcomes, no cures, no prescription drug promotion. A clinician reviewer, credential, and date on each page. |
| Fees | Follow your College's rules on fee advertising. Describe exactly what the fee covers. |
| Reviews | Check your standard before republishing patient reviews. Linking to a third party review site is treated differently from quoting a review on your own page in some provinces. |
| Forms | Collect the minimum. No health information by plain email. A privacy policy that matches. |
| Footer | Privacy policy, accessibility statement, and the legal name and location of the practice. |
How we handle it
Every page we write or review goes through the checklist above against the current version of the relevant standard, and we keep a dated record. When a College updates its standard, the quarterly re review under Care catches it. If you would like your current site checked against these points, the free Practice Website Check returns a ten point review within two business days.
The full compliance register lists every standard we check and what the review record contains.
Check your site against these rules
The free Practice Website Check flags testimonials, superlatives, guarantees, and prescription drug promotion, along with nine other points, within two business days.