Published Oct 18, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 18, 2026 | 7:00 AM
The NMC has restricted promotional offers that could encourage patients to seek unnecessary consultations
Synopsis: The National Medical Commission’s new advertising guidelines bar doctors from accepting patient referral commissions, restrict promotional discounts that encourage unnecessary care, and prohibit paid doctor rankings. The rules also require verifiable claims about professional standing, prohibit commercial health product endorsements using doctors’ identities, and target manipulated social media engagement.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has barred doctors from accepting commissions linked to patient referrals. These restrictions on promotional offers could encourage unnecessary medical care and prohibit paid rankings of doctors on healthcare platforms.
The guidelines on medical advertising, issued by the NMC’s Ethics and Medical Registration Board on 6 October, also restrict the manipulation of social media metrics and the use of doctors’ professional identities to endorse commercial health products.
Earlier, South First reported on the guidelines’ restrictions on patient testimonials, paid reviews, misleading medical advertisements and AI-generated promotions. The additional provisions address referral payments, promotional incentives, rankings and commercial endorsements.
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The NMC has prohibited doctors from offering or receiving commissions, referral fees and other benefits connected to the referral or procurement of patients, specimens or materials for medical services.
“No RMP (Registered Medical Practitioner) shall, directly or indirectly, offer, pay, solicit, receive or participate in any commission, rebate, bonus, gift, gratuity, referral fee, lead-generation fee or other consideration in relation to the promotion or advertisement of medical services, where such consideration is connected with the referral, recommendation or procurement of patients, specimens or materials for diagnosis, treatment, surgery or other medical services,” the guidelines stated.
The rules also prohibit payment arrangements with advertising agencies, digital marketing agencies, influencers and online platforms when remuneration depends on procuring or referring individual patients.
“No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall structure any contract with advertising agencies, digital marketing agencies, influencers or online platforms in a manner where payment or consideration is linked to the procurement or referral of individual patients,” the guidelines state.
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The NMC has restricted promotional offers that could encourage patients to seek unnecessary consultations, diagnostic investigations or treatment. These include discounts, limited-period offers, contests, coupons, gifts, cashback, referral benefits and free procedures.
“No RMP shall use discounts, limited-period offers, contests, coupons, gifts, cashbacks, referral benefits, free procedures or similar inducements in a manner that is likely to encourage unnecessary medical consultation, diagnostic investigation or treatment or otherwise amounts to solicitation,” the guidelines said.
However, the rules do not prohibit all discounts or treatment packages. Hospitals and doctors can disclose their charges, packages and fees, provided the information is factual, transparent and not misleading.
“Any lawful disclosure of charges, packages or fees shall be factual, transparent and not misleading,” it said.
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The NMC has restricted promotional claims such as “best”, “No.1”, “leading”, “most trusted”, “top”, “number one” and “unmatched” unless they can be objectively verified.
“No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall make comparative claims such as ‘best’, ‘No.1’, ‘leading’, ‘most trusted’, ‘top’, ‘number one’, ‘unmatched’ or similar superiority claims unless the claim is objectively verifiable, based on a transparent and independently ascertainable methodology and is otherwise permissible under applicable law,” the guidelines said.
The rules also cover awards and rankings used in advertising. “Any ranking or award relied upon in advertising shall be capable of independent verification”, and relevant conditions and methodology must be disclosed where necessary to avoid misleading the public.
The disclosure may include the date and details of the organisation that conferred the award.
Doctors and hospitals cannot artificially inflate their social media engagement or manipulate search rankings to create a misleading impression of their professional standing.
“No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall procure, manipulate or cause any third party to procure or manipulate fake followers, likes, comments, views or digital engagement, or manipulate search rankings, visibility or algorithms to create a misleading impression of professional standing,” the NMC said.
The restriction applies to manipulation carried out directly by healthcare providers as well as through third parties.
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The guidelines prohibit doctors from using their professional identity to endorse medicines, medical devices, diagnostic products, health supplements and other health-related products in advertising.
The restriction applies whether or not the doctor receives payment for the endorsement.
“No RMP shall give, directly or indirectly, any approval, recommendation, endorsement, certificate, report or statement concerning any drug, medicine, remedy, therapeutic article, apparatus, appliance, medical device, diagnostic product, health product or commercial product for use in advertising or publicity in connection with his/her name, signature, photograph, voice or professional status, whether or not monetary or other consideration is received,” it said.
The guidelines separately addressed commercial relationships in public communication. They require disclosure of material commercial relationships in lawful communication intended to inform the public about health.
Healthcare platforms that list doctors and medical institutions must follow the NMC’s advertising norms and keep their listings transparent. They cannot rank doctors in exchange for payment.
“All healthcare platforms hosting RMP shall ensure compliance with NMC ethical advertising norms, prohibition of paid ranking of doctors, and maintain transparency in listing practices.”
The guidelines do not specify a separate penalty or enforcement mechanism for platforms under this provision. Disciplinary action against doctors is handled through the applicable medical regulatory framework, while relevant clinical establishment laws and other applicable legislation govern action against hospitals.
The NMC has retained the power to issue clarifications and operational instructions to support implementation of the guidelines.
“The National Medical Commission may issue such clarifications, advisories, standard operating procedures or procedural instructions, consistent with these Guidelines and the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, as may be necessary for their effective and uniform implementation,” the guidelines further stated.
Some provisions, including those governing offers likely to encourage unnecessary treatment, do not prescribe a specific measurement test. The Commission may issue further guidance on their implementation.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
