The Golden Rules For Medication Advertisements

One of the largest parts of life science marketing, especially when it comes to business-to-consumer marketing takes the form of advertising products.

As would be rightfully expected, there are strict rules and guidances that surround what you can and cannot say when advertising over the counter medicines to the public, governed not only by the Advertising Standards Agency but also the law.

Here are some of the most important rules to follow when making medication marketing materials.

Be Clear In Communications

A golden rule in all science communication is to be as clear as possible when talking about healthcare, particularly in the case of common conditions.

The ASA code for non-broadcast advertising materials, specifically in section 12.4, requires that marketing not use “unfamiliar scientific words” to describe common conditions.

For example, this could include using the term ‘acute viral nasopharyngitis’ instead of the common cold, or dihydrogen monoxide to describe water.

This is exceptionally important, as being unclear or relying on jargon can cause unnecessary confusion and in some cases disproportionate concern.

Do Not Advertise Prescription Medication

In the United States, a common statement in advertising is “talk to your doctor” in connection to prescription medication. In fact, when Viagra was first launched as a prescription-only medication, it had a major marketing push that would be illegal in the UK.

Section 12.12 of the ASA Code is very clear that treatments and medicines that are only available on prescription cannot be advertised to the public.

Do Not Make Promises You Cannot Keep

One of the most dangerous words you can write in marketing communications is the word ‘guarantee’. Section 12.19 of the Code specifically forbids writing about guaranteed positive effects, safety or side effects, simply because research does not work this way.

There is always the potential, however slight, for a medical product to have a side effect or not work for a certain person because everyone is different, and even large-scale clinical trials cannot provide

absolute certainty.