Our June 2025 handbook for doctors

Rules Before Reach: Our June 2025 Handbook On Ethical Healthcare Marketing

June 2025 edition. Replaced by the NMC’s 6 October 2026 notice.

Rules Before Reach is the handbook Medmatis published in June 2025, on the eve of Doctors’ Day. It discusses the legal and ethical considerations for healthcare branding and marketing in India as understood at the time, for doctors, clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centres.

We printed it and handed copies to more than 30 doctors in the weeks that followed, mostly in their clinics, as part of our Doctors’ Day campaign. It is about sixteen months older than the NMC’s notice of 6 October 2026, which replaces what it says about advertising, so we keep it here as a historical record.

Read the current rules: the NMC guide →

Cover of Rules Before Reach, the Medmatis handbook of June 2025: legal and ethical guidelines for healthcare branding and marketing

The short answer

Rules Before Reach is a healthcare marketing handbook written by Medmatis, a healthcare-only digital marketing agency in Kolkata, and published in June 2025 for doctors in India. It is the June 2025 edition, replaced by the NMC’s notice of 6 October 2026, so it is shown here to read, not to rely on.

Title: Rules Before Reach: Legal & Ethical Guidelines for Healthcare Branding & Marketing
Published: June 2025, on the eve of Doctors’ Day
Publisher: Medmatis Digital Innovations (Medmatis), Kolkata
Author: Tamojit Lodh, Founder of Medmatis
Written for: Doctors, clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centres in India
Printed copies: Handed to more than 30 doctors in the weeks after publication, summer 2025
Status: June 2025 edition. Replaced by the NMC’s 6 October 2026 notice.

What the handbook covered

The regulatory framework as discussed in 2025: the MCI Code of Medical Ethics 2002, the NMC and its 2023 regulations, and the Clinical Establishments Act 2010.
Five ethical principles for healthcare marketing: truthfulness, respect for patient dignity, confidentiality, non-commercialisation and professional integrity.
Permissible and prohibited marketing practices, with a short list of common mistakes.
Digital and social media guidance, patient privacy and consent, and sponsorships and pharma interactions.
The judicial and regulatory outlook at the time, a compliance checklist and references.

“In healthcare, marketing goes beyond simply being visible. It’s about being trusted.”
Tamojit Lodh, Founder, Medmatis (from the handbook)

Read the June 2025 edition

Shown as page images so you can read it. It is not offered as a download, because its rules have been replaced.

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 1 of 19: Cover — 1 / 19 · Cover

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 2 of 19: A line from the founder — 2 / 19 · A line from the founder

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 3 of 19: Preface — 3 / 19 · Preface

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 4 of 19: 1. Introduction — 4 / 19 · 1. Introduction

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 5 of 19: 2. Regulatory framework overview — 5 / 19 · 2. Regulatory framework overview

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 6 of 19: 2.3 Clinical Establishments Act and state guidelines — 6 / 19 · 2.3 Clinical Establishments Act and state guidelines

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 7 of 19: 3. Ethical principles governing healthcare marketing — 7 / 19 · 3. Ethical principles governing healthcare marketing

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 8 of 19: 3. Legal citation — 8 / 19 · 3. Legal citation

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 9 of 19: 4. Permissible marketing practices — 9 / 19 · 4. Permissible marketing practices

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 10 of 19: 5. Prohibited marketing practices — 10 / 19 · 5. Prohibited marketing practices

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 11 of 19: 5. Legal citations — 11 / 19 · 5. Legal citations

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 12 of 19: 6. Digital and social media marketing guidelines — 12 / 19 · 6. Digital and social media marketing guidelines

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 13 of 19: 7. Patient privacy and consent — 13 / 19 · 7. Patient privacy and consent

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 14 of 19: 8. Sponsorships, events and pharma interactions — 14 / 19 · 8. Sponsorships, events and pharma interactions

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 15 of 19: 9. Common marketing mistakes to avoid — 15 / 19 · 9. Common marketing mistakes to avoid

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 16 of 19: 10. Judicial and regulatory outlook — 16 / 19 · 10. Judicial and regulatory outlook

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 17 of 19: 11. Compliance checklist for healthcare marketing — 17 / 19 · 11. Compliance checklist for healthcare marketing

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 18 of 19: 13. References and further reading — 18 / 19 · 13. References and further reading

Rules Before Reach, June 2025 edition, page 19 of 19: Back cover — 19 / 19 · Back cover

Then and now

The handbook was written before the NMC’s notice of 6 October 2026. This table shows selected places where the notice changes or adds to what the handbook says on advertising; it is not a full comparison. Read the current rules in our guide to the notice.

Patient testimonials

Handbook, June 2025

Testimonials and images could be used with explicit written consent and proper anonymisation (pages 6 and 7).

NMC notice, 6 October 2026 (cl. 6.2; 3.2 Expl. V)

Consent alone no longer makes a testimonial or promotional patient story acceptable, and an RMP must not request or share testimonials or reviews for promotion on social media.

Rules for hospitals

Handbook, June 2025

The NMC was drafting guidelines for hospital advertising; the handbook relied on the 2002 code, the Clinical Establishments Act and state guidelines such as Punjab’s (page 13).

NMC notice, 6 October 2026 (cl. 8.3; 9.1)

One notice now sets the rules for hospitals and medical institutions as well as registered medical practitioners, including what factual information a hospital may publish.

AI-generated content

Handbook, June 2025

Not addressed.

NMC notice, 6 October 2026 (cl. 7.2)

An AI-generated promotional campaign for commercial interest is prohibited, and other AI content must carry a source mark.

Using an agency

Handbook, June 2025

Not addressed as a separate rule.

NMC notice, 6 October 2026 (cl. 4.4; 8.1 (ii), (viii), (xi))

The notice addresses engaging a third party for marketing, and keeps the doctor responsible for what an agency publishes. It does not explain how its provisions fit together, so doctors should take medical-law advice.

What happens after a breach

Handbook, June 2025

Not set out.

NMC notice, 6 October 2026 (cl. 10.1)

Graded action by the State Medical Council, from a warning and ethics training to suspension of registration for serious violations.

What did not change

Soliciting patients, directly or indirectly, is not allowed, and a doctor may not permit the use of their name or image for promotion (the handbook cites the 2002 code; the notice states it again at cl. 8.1 (ii)).
Marketing must stay truthful, respectful of patients and professional in tone. The notice still allows health education and public-health communication, provided it does not promote the doctor’s practice, solicit patients or earn money through promotional marketing (cl. 5.1).

Plain-language summary of a public notice, not legal advice. The clause numbers are those of the NMC’s notice; the notice itself is the authority.

How it fits together

June 2025Rules Before Reach is published on the eve of Doctors’ Day.
Summer 2025Printed copies are handed to more than 30 doctors, mostly in their clinics, over the weeks after publication.
6 October 2026The NMC issues its notice on ethical advertising and public communication. It replaces what the handbook says about advertising.

The handbook in doctors’ hands

Copies went to physicians, cardiologists, a cardiac surgeon, a spine surgeon, a paediatrician, a gynaecologist and a haematologist, at hospitals and diagnostic centres in and around Kolkata and at the ECMO India 2025 conference. A few of them are shown here, each photographed with their consent.

Dr. Abhijnan Maji holding a printed copy of Rules Before Reach, with a Medmatis team member beside him — **Dr. Abhijnan Maji**Internal Medicine and DiabetologyVivacity Multispeciality Hospital, Madhyamgram

Dr. Trishnendu Mondal holding a printed copy of Rules Before Reach, with a Medmatis team member beside him — **Dr. Trishnendu Mondal**PaediatricianILS Hospitals, Dum Dum

Prof. Dr. D. P. Sinha holding a printed copy of Rules Before Reach, with a Medmatis team member standing beside him — **Prof. Dr. D. P. Sinha**Interventional CardiologistVivacity Multispeciality Hospital, Madhyamgram

Prof. Dr. Pradip Kumar Mitra holding a printed copy of Rules Before Reach beside a Medmatis team member — **Prof. Dr. Pradip Kumar Mitra**Haematologist and Clinical PathologistVivacity Multispeciality Hospital, Madhyamgram

Dr. Gaurav Taparia and a Medmatis team member holding a printed copy of Rules Before Reach together — **Dr. Gaurav Taparia**Spine SurgeonSuraksha Diagnostic, Madhyamgram

Dr. Gopa Mallick with a Medmatis team member, a copy of Rules Before Reach on the desk — **Dr. Gopa Mallick**GynaecologistSuraksha Diagnostic, Nagerbazar

Dr. Dhiraj Barman with a Medmatis team member, printed copies of Rules Before Reach on the desk — **Dr. Dhiraj Barman**Chief Cardiac SurgeonVivacity Multispeciality Hospital, Madhyamgram

Dr. Narayan Banerjee, wearing a conference faculty badge and holding a printed copy of Rules Before Reach, beside a Medmatis team member — **Dr. Narayan Banerjee**Consultant PhysicianECMO India 2025, Kolkata

Dr. Dipanjan Chatterjee beside a Medmatis team member holding a printed copy of Rules Before Reach, at ECMO India 2025 — **Dr. Dipanjan Chatterjee**ECMO and Critical Care PhysicianECMO India 2025, Kolkata

Receiving a copy of the handbook is not an endorsement of Medmatis, and none is implied.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rules Before Reach?

Rules Before Reach is a healthcare marketing handbook written by Medmatis Digital Innovations and published in June 2025, on the eve of Doctors’ Day. It explains the legal and ethical rules for healthcare branding and marketing in India as they stood in 2025, for doctors, clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centres.

Is the handbook still current?

No. It is the June 2025 edition and, on advertising, has been replaced by the NMC’s notice of 6 October 2026. On advertising, follow the notice. That is why the handbook is shown here as page images to read and not as a download.

Who received the printed handbook?

More than 30 doctors received a printed copy, handed to them, mostly in their clinics, in the weeks after publication as part of our Doctors’ Day week campaign.

Who is Medmatis?

Medmatis (Medmatis Digital Innovations) is a healthcare-only digital marketing agency in Kolkata. It works remotely with doctors, clinics and hospitals across India, and builds its work around the NMC’s advertising guidelines.

Does receiving the handbook mean a doctor works with or endorses Medmatis?

No. A doctor who received a copy has not endorsed Medmatis, and the photos on this page show a handover of the handbook, not a business relationship.

Is Rules Before Reach legal advice?

No. It is a guide written by a marketing agency to explain the rules as they stood in 2025. For a decision about a specific advertisement, take advice from a medical-law professional.

Where can I read the current rules?

Our guide to the NMC’s 6 October 2026 notice explains the rules clause by clause, and the original notice is on the NMC’s website. Neither is legal advice.

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