Photo: Getty Fake medical practitioners will cop big fines and potential imprisonment as new regulatory powers come into force. Any person prosecuted for pretending to be a registered health practitioner can now be hit with a three-year jail term and a $60,000 fine, while companies could be fined up to $120,000. The tough new laws apply to any individual who falsely calls themselves a medical practitioner, psychologist, dentist, pharmacist, chiropractor, podiatrist or optometrist, among other protected titles, without the proper qualifications. It comes as Australia deals with a spate of people pretending to be doctors, with more than 50 prosecutions under the national law in the last five years. It’s hoped the near-nationwide crackdown — it excludes Western Australia — will curb deceptive practices putting patients and consumers at risk. Photo: Getty. Amendments to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law were initially passed by the Queensland state parliament in […]