Social Media and Medical Advertising Course: DHA, DOH and MOHAP Rules

What you will learn

• Identify the federal, emirate and free-zone instruments that govern health advertising and online conduct in the UAE, and determine which apply to your practice.
• Explain when online content counts as a health advertisement and the approval route required through MOHAP, DHA, DOH or DHCR.
• Distinguish the UAE Media Council Advertiser Permit from health authority approval of advertising content.
• Rewrite non-compliant claims to remove banned words, unsubstantiated statements, disparagement and unacceptable time-limited inducements.
• Apply DHA requirements for before-and-after images, filming of procedures and culturally appropriate content.
• Design a written consent process for patient images, testimonials and stories, including for children.
• Apply UAE confidentiality law and standards to social media posts, messaging apps and personal devices.
• Distinguish general health information from individualised clinical advice and respond appropriately to patients and reviewers online.
• Recognise and manage conflicts of interest in sponsorship, influencing and affiliate arrangements.
• Describe how online concerns are investigated and penalised in the UAE, and prepare evidence of insight and remediation.

Syllabus

10 sections, about 2 learning hours, 20-question final assessment

1. 1Social media, advertising and public trust in UAE healthcare3 lessons

   • How UAE healthcare professionals use social media
   • The layered legal framework at a glance
   • When does a post become an advertisement?
2. 2Federal rules: media law, MOHAP advertisement licensing and the Advertiser Permit3 lessons

   • Federal media law and health content
   • MOHAP health advertisement licensing and monitoring
   • The Advertiser Permit and medical product advertising
3. 3Emirate rules: DHA, DOH, Dubai Healthcare City and the Northern Emirates3 lessons

   • Dubai: DHA ST-21 and the Code of Ethics
   • Abu Dhabi: DOH media and advertising rules
   • Dubai Healthcare City, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates
4. 4What you can and cannot say: claims, images, prices and culture3 lessons

   • Claims, banned words and substantiation
   • Before-and-after images, filming and cultural standards
   • Prices, offers and products that must not be advertised
5. 5Patients online: consent, testimonials and confidentiality3 lessons

   • Consent for patient images, testimonials and stories
   • Confidentiality online and in messaging apps
   • Filming in clinical areas
6. 6Professional conduct online: accounts, advice, colleagues and conflicts of interest4 lessons

   • Your online identity, accounts and boundaries
   • Health information versus individualised advice
   • Colleagues, competitors and online reviews
   • Paid partnerships, free products and conflicts of interest
7. 7When things go wrong: complaints, investigations, penalties and remediation3 lessons

   • How online concerns are handled
   • The first steps after a problem post
   • Showing insight and putting things right after an online lapse
8. 8Conclusion and key points1 lesson

   • Conclusion and key points
9. 9References and further reading1 lesson

   • References and further reading
10. 10Your reflective account1 lesson

    • Your reflective account

Course facts

CPD value

Approximately 2 learning hours (self-directed CPD, including knowledge checks, reflection and assessment)

Audience

Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals licensed by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR, plus Medical Directors, clinic owners and managers who approve social media content

Standards covered

Federal Decree-Law No. (55) of 2023 Regulating Media; Cabinet Resolution No. (68) of 2024 (Art. 33); Cabinet Resolution No. (42) of 2025; UAE Media Council Chairman Decision No. (9) of 2024 (Advertiser Permit); MOHAP Monitoring of Health Advertisements; Federal Decree-Law No. (38) of 2024 (Arts 42, 44–46); Federal Law No. (2) of 2019; Federal Decree-Law No. (4) of 2016 (Art. 5); Federal Law No. (5) of 2019; Federal Law No. (6) of 2023; DHA ST-21 Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media (2022); DHA Standards for Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2025); Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. (49) of 2024; DOH Circular 26/2023 and Guidelines for Health Media & Advertising; DOH Policy on Integrity and Benefit Disclosure (2022); DHCR Advertisement Policy and Procedure; Patient's Rights and Responsibilities Charter (Ministerial Resolution No. 14 of 2021)

Format

Self-paced, gated lessons with knowledge checks, UAE case studies and reflection

Assessment

20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)

Outcome

Certificate of completion and a written reflection for your professional development portfolio

Alignment

Mapped to DHA ST-21 and the DHA Code of Ethics standards on privacy and confidentiality, professional integrity and professional communication, DOH media and advertising and integrity requirements, MOHAP health advertisement licensing and the DHCR advertising policy; not approved by any of these bodies

Price

AED 349

Who this course is for

Doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals, plus medical directors, clinic owners and managers who approve social media content.

Written for professionals licensed by any UAE authority: MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR. Where the rules differ, the course explains the difference.