Healthcare advertising law in Pakistan: how we keep your clinic safe
Clinic marketing in Pakistan is regulated by PM&DC, the provincial Healthcare Commissions, DRAP, the Competition Commission and PEMRA, plus Meta and Google’s medical ad policies. Adymizing builds every campaign, reel, landing page and AI answer inside these rules, so your clinic grows without legal or licensing risk.
What this page covers
- ✓The 7 rules and regulators that apply to clinic marketing
- ✓What you can and cannot say in ads, reels and posts
- ✓Patient consent, data privacy and AI guardrails
- ✓Our 8-point compliance process for every clinic
Summary for clinic owners, last reviewed October 2026. Not legal advice.
The rules
7 laws and policies every clinic ad must respect
A short, plain-English summary of each one and what it means for your marketing.
Every doctor and dentist must be registered and licensed by PM&DC. The Council’s code of ethics for practitioners restricts advertising: a doctor may state name, qualifications, specialty, address and timings, but must not use misleading self-promotion, claims of cure or guaranteed results, canvassing or touts, or publicity that identifies patients without consent. Breaches can lead to inquiry, fines or suspension of the licence.
- ✓No ‘guaranteed results’, ‘permanent cure’ or ‘100% safe’ claims
- ✓Qualifications and specialty exactly as registered with PM&DC
- ✓No comparison with other doctors or clinics
- ✓Patient photos, before/after images and testimonials only with written consent
Provincial Healthcare Commissions register and license every healthcare establishment (clinics, hospitals, labs, aesthetic centres) and enforce minimum service delivery standards. They act against quackery and unlicensed practice, hear patient complaints, and can seal premises or impose penalties for false or misleading claims about services, staff or facilities.
- ✓Clinic must be registered/licensed with its provincial Healthcare Commission before it is promoted
- ✓Only services the clinic is licensed and equipped to provide may be advertised
- ✓Doctor names and credentials shown in ads must match the licensed staff
- ✓Aesthetic procedures only by qualified, registered practitioners
Advertising of drugs, medicines, injectables (e.g. botulinum toxin, fillers) and many health products to the public is restricted and needs DRAP approval. Ads must not make unapproved therapeutic claims, promote unregistered products, or use brand names of prescription medicines in public promotion.
- ✓Advertise treatments and consultations, not prescription drug brands
- ✓No ‘cures’ or therapeutic claims for medicines, supplements or devices
- ✓Only DRAP-registered products and devices used and promoted
- ✓Prices of medicines not used as a marketing hook
Section 10 prohibits deceptive marketing: false or misleading information about a service, its results, price or quality, claims without a reasonable basis, and misuse of another business’s name or reputation. CCP has fined companies for health-related claims that could not be proven.
- ✓Every claim must be true and provable (e.g. ‘open 7 days’, ‘certified dermatologist’)
- ✓Prices shown clearly, with what is included and excluded
- ✓No fake discounts, fake ‘limited offers’ or invented awards
- ✓No use of competitor names, logos or lookalike branding
TV and radio ads for health services and medicines follow the PEMRA Code of Conduct: no misleading health claims, no promotion of unregistered treatments, and advertising of medicines only with proper approval. The same standard is a safe benchmark for digital video ads and reels.
- ✓Health reels follow the same ‘no misleading claims’ standard as TV
- ✓No fear-based or exaggerated messaging about diseases
- ✓Disclaimers where results vary (‘results differ from person to person’)
Online content that defames a person or clinic, misuses someone’s image, or shares private data can be prosecuted under PECA and defamation law. Patient information is confidential under the PM&DC code of ethics; it may be used in marketing only with clear written consent, and must be stored securely.
- ✓Written consent before any patient photo, video, review or story is used
- ✓Patient data kept in a private, access-controlled system (not WhatsApp groups or open sheets)
- ✓No negative statements about other doctors or clinics
- ✓Staff trained on what can and cannot be posted
Meta and Google have their own medical advertising rules: no before/after images that imply guaranteed results (Meta), no targeting based on health conditions, no claims about unrealistic outcomes, restricted promotion of prescription products and some cosmetic procedures, and landing pages that match the ad. Breaking them gets ads rejected or the ad account disabled.
- ✓Ads reviewed against Meta Health & Wellness and Google Healthcare policies before launch
- ✓No personal-attribute targeting (‘you have acne’)
- ✓Landing page says the same thing as the ad
- ✓Ad account health checked weekly
Quick guide
What clinics can and cannot say
Not allowed
- ✕Guaranteed results, ‘permanent cure’, ‘100% safe’, ‘best doctor in the city’
- ✕Before/after photos without consent, or edited to exaggerate results
- ✕Fake reviews, paid testimonials presented as real patients
- ✕Advertising prescription medicines or injectables by brand name to the public
- ✕Using a doctor’s name or degree they do not hold / are not registered for
- ✕Sharing patient names, numbers or conditions in posts, groups or screenshots
- ✕Fear-based messaging (‘ignore this and you will lose your hair’)
- ✕Comparing or naming other clinics and doctors
Safe and effective
- ✓‘Consultation with a PM&DC-registered dermatologist’
- ✓Education: what a treatment is, who it suits, what to expect, aftercare
- ✓Real clinic facilities, timings, location, team qualifications
- ✓Patient stories only with signed consent, with ‘results vary’
- ✓Clear prices: what is included, what is extra
- ✓Doctor-led content that answers patient questions
- ✓Reviews collected through Google after the visit, never written by us
- ✓A privacy line on every form: how patient data is used and stored
How Adymizing protects you
Our 8-point compliance process, built into every campaign
This is standard for every clinic we work with. It is part of the service, not an extra.
FAQ
Questions clinic owners ask about the rules
Can a doctor advertise in Pakistan at all?
Yes, within limits. A doctor may inform the public about name, qualifications, specialty, clinic, timings and services, and may publish health education. What is not allowed is misleading self-promotion: claims of cure or guaranteed results, canvassing, fake testimonials, or publicity that identifies patients without consent.
Are before/after photos allowed?
Only with the patient’s written consent, unedited, and with a clear note that results vary. Meta’s ad policy additionally rejects before/after images in ads that imply guaranteed outcomes, so we use them on your own website and profile, not in paid ads.
Can we advertise Botox, fillers or other injectables?
You can promote the consultation and the treatment category (for example ‘anti-wrinkle treatment consultation’) with a registered practitioner. Public advertising of prescription drug brands and therapeutic claims for medicines is restricted under DRAP rules.
Who is responsible if an ad breaks the rules?
The clinic and the doctor are responsible to PM&DC and the Healthcare Commission, and the advertiser can also be acted against by CCP or the platform. That is why every Adymizing campaign goes through our claims review and consent file before launch.
Is this page legal advice?
No. It is a practical compliance summary prepared by Adymizing for clinic owners and reviewed periodically. Laws and platform policies change; for a specific situation please consult your lawyer, PM&DC or your provincial Healthcare Commission.
Want your current ads and pages checked for compliance?
Book a free 20-minute call. We review your existing ads, website and social media against these rules and tell you what to fix, honestly.