Medical marketing means helping the right patient find and trust the doctor, within the rules of Brazil’s Federal Council of Medicine (CFM). Since March 2024, CFM Resolution 2,336/2023 has been in force. It lets doctors publish consultation prices, show the office and equipment, repost patient praise and use before and after photos for educational purposes. It is still prohibited to promise results, call yourself a specialist without an RQE (specialist registration number) and use sensationalism. The channels that bring in the most patients are Google, in search and Maps, and an Instagram that explains instead of selling.
This guide separates what the rule allows from what works in practice. It doesn’t replace reading the resolution or checking with your state’s CRM (regional medical council) when in doubt.
What changed with Resolution 2,336/2023
The resolution replaced Resolution 1,974/2011 and took effect on March 11, 2024. The CFM’s own summary, in plain language:
| Now allowed | Still prohibited |
|---|---|
| Publishing the consultation price and payment methods | Promising results or guaranteeing success |
| Advertising discounts in promotional campaigns | Selling packages, consortiums, tied sales or prizes |
| Showing the office, the team and the equipment | Saying a device gives a privileged capability |
| Using before and after photos for educational purposes | Manipulated before and after photos or ones that identify the patient |
| Reposting patient praise | Testimonials with superiority adjectives |
| Publishing selfies, videos and audio | Sensationalism and unfair competition |
| Advertising a postgraduate degree, with the words “non-specialist” | Presenting yourself as a specialist without an RQE |
The CFM keeps a page with the most common questions about the resolution on the Council’s website.
What every ad must include
It’s the most common mistake and the easiest to fix. Every ad from an individual doctor must include:
- Name.
- CRM number, with the word “doctor”.
- Specialty or area of practice registered with the CRM, followed by the RQE number.
A clinic, hospital or other health facility must show its name and CRM registration, the name of the technical director with their CRM number and, for a specialty facility, the technical director’s RQE.
This applies to the Instagram post, the Google ad, the website and the Google Maps profile.
Before and after: allowed, with rules
It was the most talked-about change. The before and after must:
- Be within the doctor’s registered specialty.
- Come with educational text, including the indications and the factors that can worsen the result.
- Have the patient’s consent, without identifying who it is.
- Not be manipulated.
- Whenever possible, also show results that didn’t turn out as expected, and different body types and age groups.
A photo of a great result with the caption “incredible transformation” doesn’t pass this rule.
Where patients look for a doctor
A patient in pain or holding an exam result goes to Google: “dermatologist near me”, “orthopedist that accepts insurance X”, “endoscopy clinic in Campinas”. Whoever shows up there, with reviews and clear information, gets the call.
1. Google Business Profile (Maps). This is the first place patients look. Pick the right category and list every service, your hours, accepted insurance plans and real photos of your office. Patient reviews carry a lot of weight, and replying to each one while protecting patient confidentiality shows care. The step-by-step is in how to optimize Google Business Profile.
2. Google Ads on search. Your ad shows up for people searching right now. It works well for specialties with private-pay procedures and for clinics that want to fill the schedule for a specific service. The precautions specific to this field are in Google Ads for doctors.
3. A website with one page per service. Your ad and Maps listing have to send people somewhere. A page that explains the procedure, who it’s for, what the appointment is like and how to book converts better than a generic homepage.
4. Educational Instagram. It’s not where patients decide in an urgent situation, but it’s where they check who the doctor is before booking. Content that answers a common question and shows the office and daily routine, with the required identifiers, builds that trust.
What usually goes wrong
- Ads without the CRM number and RQE, or with the RQE of a different specialty.
- Posts with “the best”, “leading authority” or “guaranteed results”.
- Before and after photos with no educational text, or showing the patient’s face.
- Spending on Instagram while leaving your Google profile with no photos, no hours and no replies to reviews.
- Sending every ad to the homepage instead of the procedure page.
Frequently asked questions
Can a doctor boost an Instagram post? Yes. A boosted post is still medical advertising, so the same rules apply and it must carry the required identifiers.
Can I advertise the price of a consultation? Yes, since March 2024, along with the accepted payment methods. Packages and consortium-style plans remain prohibited.
Can a doctor without a registered specialty advertise the area they work in? You can list your postgraduate training in résumé form, followed by the phrase “não especialista” (non-specialist). Presenting yourself as a specialist requires the RQE.
Can I repost a patient’s compliment? You can repost what the patient published, as long as the text has no superiority adjectives and doesn’t promise results.
Can an agency handle the marketing for my practice? Yes, but ethical responsibility stays with the doctor. Review every piece before publishing.
Where to start
With the free Google Business Profile audit you can see your office’s profile compared with three competitors in your area. If the clinic already advertises, the free Google Ads audit shows what the account is doing today.