Mandates in Australia threatened the freedom of chiropractors to do their jobs and treat their patients at the peak of the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020.
Dr. Brett Crawford, founder and owner of Breathe Chiropractic in Tasmania, Australia, launched his business just weeks before the first mandates.
“The CDC helped give me the confidence not to follow the mandates.
“I never wore a mask. After reports that I was treating patients and not wearing a mask, I received a letter from the government. It was unsettling as a new business owner. I called Bharon at OneChiropractic. Bharon put me in touch with his fire team and lawyers. They wrote a letter for me to send in response. After sending the letter, I never had any trouble.
“Because I was already a contributor to OneChiropractic, the CDC’s lawyers could help me with my situation immediately.”
This year, Dr. Brett faced further controversy when he received correspondence from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). AHPRA demanded that he remove screenshots of Google reviews on his website.
“I took screenshots of eight to 10 Google reviews and pasted them onto the website. I received a letter from AHPRA telling me to remove half of the reviews because the language violated advertising rules. One of the reviews said, “I have been dealing with headaches for 20 years, and since seeing Dr. Brett, my headaches have gone away.” AHPRA told me this was a violation because I could not include language about the symptoms treated.
“I removed the Google reviews pasted onto the website and installed a widget, so content came directly from the source, Google. AHPRA told me this still violated advertising protocols.
One of the testimonials read:
‘Dr. Brett has been treating my family and I in Launceston for a number of years. We started out quite skeptical, but after only a couple of visits, Dr. Brett was helping both my husband, and I manage chronic pain.
Whilst he started out our Launceston chiropractor, he soon ingrained himself in the hearts of our whole family, and now we consider him a good friend. He has coached us through making positive changes in a lot of areas for our family and I cannot recommend his services more highly.’
AHPRA told Dr. Brett that the advertising may breach section 133 of the National Law.
Section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Tasmania) Act 2010 prohibits the following types of health service advertisements:
- False, misleading, or deceptive advertisements
- Advertisements that offer gifts, discounts, or other inducements to attract customers
- Advertisements that use testimonials or purported testimonials
- Advertisements that create an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment
- Advertisements that directly or indirectly encourage the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services
AHPRA told Dr. Brett, ‘The National Law does not define ‘testimonial,” so AHPRA and the National Boards have adopted its ordinary meaning of a positive statement about a person or thing. In the context of the National Law, testimonials are recommendations or positive statements about the clinical aspects of a regulated health service used in advertising.’
“So, I called Bharon at OneChiropractic and the CDC, and he again put me in touch with his fire team and lawyers, and the case is currently under review. I have not had to do anything because the CDC has shown up in court on my behalf, covered all costs, kept me informed of the situation, and had my back.
“If it were not for the CDC, I would have just given in. I know the CDC has my back because I contribute to OneChiropractic and follow along.
“We need more people on board with OneChiropractic.
“If we can unite more, we can fight attacks on our freedom. We need more people to fight, or we will lose our rights.
“People turn a blind eye when situations don’t affect them. But if they take this right from one person, they will take it from more.”
Dr. Brett has been a chiropractor in Tasmania for more than 14 years and trained at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa, USA.
