Doctors cannot use celebrities, influencers, patients to promote professional services through prohibited testimonials, endorsements: NMC

New Delhi: Under the new ethical advertising and public communication guidelines, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has barred doctors from allowing any celebrity, influencer, patient, or any third party to promote professional services through prohibited testimonials, endorsements or recommendations.

The Apex Medical Commission has specified in these guidelines that any material commercial relationship in lawful public-health or informational communication shall be transparently disclosed in accordance with applicable law. NMC has also barred RMPs or hospital/medical institution from using a third party as an intermediary to do indirectly what the RMP or institution is prohibited from doing directly.

NMC released the Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication by hospitals/medical institutions and Registered Medical Practitioners on 06.10.2026.

While specifying the scope and applicability of these guidelines, NMC mentioned that the fact that an advertisement or promotional communication is published through a digital platform, third party, advertising agency, influencer or other intermediary shall not, by itself, absolve an RMP or medical institution from responsibility for content which it has authorized, commissioned, sponsored, adopted or knowingly permitted.

In Chapter III of the guidelines, NMC specified the responsibilities and ethical communication standards. While laying down the advertising restrictions and permitted communications for RMPs, NMC mentioned, "No RMP shall use or permit any celebrity, influencer, patient, employee or third party to promote professional services through prohibited testimonials, endorsements or recommendations. Any material commercial relationship in lawful public-health or informational communication shall be transparently disclosed in accordance with applicable law. No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall use a third party as an intermediary to do indirectly what the RMP or institution is prohibited from doing directly."

"No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall procure, manipulate or cause any third party to procure or manipulate fake followers, likes, reviews, ratings, testimonials, comments, views or other digital engagement, or manipulate search rankings, visibility or algorithms to create a misleading impression of professional standing," it further added.

The Commission also added in this guidelines that the "engagement of advertising agencies, digital marketing agencies, influencers or online platforms shall not be structured in a manner that results in payment or consideration being linked to the procurement or referral of individual patients."

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