If you provide health or allied healthcare in Australia, there’s a good chance you will need to register with AHPRA to practise legally.
AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) is an organisation that regulates registered health professions to ensure the safety of the public and high standards of professional conduct.
This article explains what AHPRA is, who is required to register, why AHPRA registration is mandatory, and what you need to know as a healthcare provider, clinic or NDIS business.
What Is AHPRA?
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and 15 National Health Practitioner Boards regulate registered health professions in Australia. It works closely with these boards to:
- Establish registration standards and processes
- Set national professional standards of conduct and performance
- Monitor complaints and action against practitioners
AHPRA ensures that health practitioners are:
- Qualified and educated to the right level
- Fit and proper to practise safely and ethically
- Meet national standards for professional conduct and performance
- Maintain competence throughout their career
Practitioners in AHPRA regulated professions must be registered with AHPRA before they can legally practise in Australia.
Who Must Register with AHPRA?
You must hold a current AHPRA registration if you work in a regulated health profession. This means you must be registered before you can:
- See or accept clients
- Advertise your services
- Use a protected or registered professional title
Health professions which require registration with AHPRA include:
- Chiropractors
- Medical Practitioners (Doctors)
- Nurses and Midwives
- Psychologists
- Physiotherapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Pharmacists
- Dentists and Dental Practitioners
- Osteopaths
- Podiatrists
- Optometrists
- Paramedics
- Medical Radiation Practitioners
- Chinese Medicine Practitioners
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners
It is illegal to practise any of these professions without AHPRA registration.
Why AHPRA Registration Is Mandatory
AHPRA registration is mandatory for several reasons:
1. Legal Requirements
Under the National Law, AHPRA registration is a legal requirement for anyone wishing to practise in a registered health profession. It is an offence to:
- Hold yourself out as a registered practitioner if you are not registered
- Practise without being registered
To do so may result in legal penalties including fines, termination of employment or even business closure.
2. Public Safety
Protecting the safety and welfare of patients and clients is a key role of AHPRA. Registration means that practitioners have met minimum:
- Educational qualifications and training
- Professional standards and scope of practice
Registrants are also required to:
- Maintain professional competency
- Complete continuing professional development (CPD) requirements
- Be monitored for any complaints or inappropriate conduct
3. Protected Titles
Registered titles, such as:
- “Psychologist”
- “Physiotherapist”
- “Chiropractor”
- “Nurse”
- “Occupational Therapist”
are legally protected by Australian law and AHPRA registration. Only practitioners registered with AHPRA may use these titles in:
- Marketing materials and advertisements
- Websites and social media
- Business names and logos
Advertising or claiming to be a registered health practitioner without a current AHPRA registration can result in serious penalties.
4. Insurance and Employment
Many healthcare employers and insurers, including:
- NGO’s
- Hospital groups
- Insurance providers
- Funding bodies and authorities
will also require:
- An active and unencumbered AHPRA registration
- Confirmation of no practice restrictions or conditions
Many employers, insurers and funders will not engage or provide cover to non-AHPRA registered practitioners.
Who Does NOT Need to Register with AHPRA?
Not all health professions are regulated by AHPRA or require registration.
You do not need AHPRA registration if you work as a:
- Disability Support Worker
- NDIS Support Coordinator
- Allied Health / Therapy Assistant
- Counsellor (non-psychologist)
- Psychotherapist (non-registered psychologist)
- Social Worker
- Behaviour Support Practitioner (regulated by NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
- Aged Care Worker
These roles may still be subject to:
- Qualification and training requirements
- NDIS Worker Screening Checks
- Professional memberships and bodies
—but AHPRA registration is not needed.
AHPRA Registration and the NDIS: Providers Need to Know
Many NDIS service providers mistakenly believe that all NDIS workers and professionals are required to be AHPRA registered.
In fact, the opposite is true:
- Only clinicians in regulated professions (e.g. psychologists, nurses, OTs) need AHPRA registration
- Support workers and coordinators are not regulated by AHPRA but are covered by NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission regulation
That said, if an NDIS provider employs an AHPRA-registered health professional, the provider is still required to:
- Keep all registrations up-to-date and current
- Ensure that advertising complies with AHPRA and National Law
- Require staff to use their registered professional title where applicable
Why AHPRA Matters for Healthcare and NDIS Businesses
Incorrect or missing AHPRA compliance information can lead to serious issues for healthcare and NDIS businesses, including:
- Audit non-compliance
- Advertising breaches
- Legal and financial penalties
- Lost trust from clients and referrers
Good compliance with AHPRA regulations allows you to:
- Confidently provide safe and legal services
- Build professional trust and credibility
- Establish brand authority and authority
- Achieve sustainable long-term growth
It can also help with attracting high quality and competent staff members to your business.
Work With an Agency That Knows AHPRA Regulations
Healthcare and NDIS digital marketing and advertising is not the same as regular digital marketing and advertising. Both AHPRA and NDIS regulations set strict standards around:
- Advertising language
- Use of professional titles
- Claims and representations
- Website content and social media
The good news is that by working with the right agency, you can be confident your healthcare or NDIS business website, social media and advertising is compliant and will not breach AHPRA or NDIS regulations.
A healthcare and NDIS focused digital agency can:
- Make sure your website and ads meet AHPRA and NDIS compliance requirements
- Avoid preventable advertising breaches
- Use compliance as a platform for creating high converting content
- Help your business grow with zero regulatory risk
Gain trust, authority and growth (without the headache) when your marketing is on the right side of regulations.
