Medicines, remedies and therapies

Helpful information on the advertising rules for medicines, remedies and therapies and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in this area.

Before advertisers can make medicinal claims in their ads – a claim that a product can treat or prevent disease, injury, ailment or adverse condition - they must be sure their product is classified as a medicine under the advertising rules. This means the product needs to be classified by the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a medicine and the advertisers must hold the relevant licence before marketing the product in the UK. All ads for the product then must conform with this licence and with the product’s summary of product characteristics (SPC).

Once this has been established, ads must then follow the rules for medicines which include: not addressing children, not suggesting the products effects are guaranteed or absolutely safe with no side-effects, and not using health professionals or celebrities to endorse the medicine. Prescription-only medicines are prohibited from being advertised to the public and claims for so-called herbal alternatives are equally likely to be problematic.

For homeopathic medicinal products registered in the UK, ads must include a warning to consult a doctor if symptoms persist. Likewise, it is mandatory for ads for traditional herbal medicinal products to include a statement that makes reference to the fact the product is “based on traditional use only” and to not infer evidence for the product’s efficacy is based on clinical trial data.

Advertising in the health industry is not just confined to medicines and products and there are also strict rules for healthcare professionals advertising their services. This includes homeopathy, osteopathy and chiropractic services. The advertising rules provide a detailed list of conditions that these professionals can claim in their ads to treat, and a detailed list of those they cannot. It is important all these professionals are able to back up any claims made in their ads, including in testimonials, with robust evidence and that they avoid claiming they can “cure”, “prevent” or “heal” conditions with their therapies.

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Latest rulings

Chuckling Goat Ltd
- Upheld
- Transport, Website (own site)
- 13 May 2020
A poster ad and website claims by a food provider broke the rules by implying its products prevented, treated or cured human disease.
PCK SKIN (Manchester) Ltd t/a SkinSpaceUK
- Upheld
- Email
- 13 May 2020
A promotional email, by an aesthetic clinic, offering vitamin injections broke the rules by promoting prescription-only medicines to the general public.
Revival Drinks Ltd t/a Revival Shots
- Upheld
- Social media (own site)
- 27 May 2020
A Facebook ad and two Instagram ads for Revival Shots broke the ad rules by implying that their food product could prevent, treat or cure human disease and for making health claims that were not listed as authorised on the EU Register of nutrition and health claims.
Cosmetic Medical Advice UK Ltd t/a Dr Rita Rakus Clinic
- Upheld
- Internet (social networking)
- 22 April 2020
Instagram posts that implied an IV drip treatment could help to prevent people from catching coronavirus/COVID-19 broke the advertising rules.

View all rulings

Medicines, remedies and therapies

Helpful information on the advertising rules for medicines, remedies and therapies and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in this area.

Latest news

Enforcing the rules for prescription-only medicines and 'vitamin shots'

Putting IV drip advertisers on notice

Taking swift action to tackle a drip feed of misleading ad claims

Vetting claims about products for animal health

Gambling advertising and ‘lockdown’

Report a Coronavirus related ad

Latest rulings

Chuckling Goat Ltd

PCK SKIN (Manchester) Ltd t/a SkinSpaceUK

Revival Drinks Ltd t/a Revival Shots

Cosmetic Medical Advice UK Ltd t/a Dr Rita Rakus Clinic

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Relevant codes

12 Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products