Ad description
A paid-for Google ad seen on 31 January 2025 for Manual, a men’s health treatment provider. The ad stated, “Buy Oral Minoxidil - £14/Month”. Smaller text stated, “Effective in 9/10 Men – The Very Best Treatment in the UK. Proven in Major Studies & Approved By Medical Experts. Book Your Personal Online Consultation”.
Issue
The complainant challenged whether the ad breached the Code because it advertised a prescription-only medicine to the public.
Response
Menwell Ltd t/a Manual said they had removed the product from their advertising.
Assessment
Upheld
The CAP Code stated that prescription-only medicines or prescription-only medical treatments must not be advertised to the public.
The ad was visible to the general public and stated, “Buy Oral Minoxidil […] Book Your Personal Online Consultation”. We understood from the MHRA that oral minoxidil was a prescription-only medicine and was licensed for the treatment of some types of hypertension only. We considered it was unlikely that this was the indication for which Manual were advertising the medicine to men, and as it was a prescription-only medicine it should, in any case, not have been advertised to the public.
We welcomed Manual’s willingness to remove the product from their advertising. However, because the ad promoted a prescription-only medicine to the general public we concluded that it breached the Code.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 12.12 (Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products).
Action
The ad must not appear again in the form complained of. We told Menwell Ltd t/a Manual not to promote prescription-only medicines to the general public in future.
