Regulatory Requirements for Advertising
Only drugs that Health Canada authorizes for sale in Canada may be advertised. Specific requirements exist
for advertisements of prescription drugs to consumers.
Health Canada’s Role
Health Canada is the national regulatory authority for drug advertisements.
We:
- Provide policies to effectively regulate marketed health products,
- Put in place guidelines for the
interpretation of the Regulations, and
- Oversee regulated advertising activities.
Our department is committed to ensuring that information in a drug advertisement is not false, misleading
or deceptive. We may intervene when an advertisement poses a significant safety concern, in the event that
resolution is not achieved through the independent agencies' complaints mechanism or when an unauthorized
drug product is promoted.
Who reviews advertisements?
Drug advertisements are reviewed and pre-cleared by independent agencies recognized
by Health Canada. These agencies are:
- Advertising Standards Canada (ASC)
- Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board (PAAB).
ASC reviews advertising material for non-prescription drugs (including natural health products) directed
to consumers, while PAAB reviews advertisements for all drugs directed to health professionals. In addition,
ASC and PAAB provide advisory opinions on messages directed to consumers for prescription drugs to ensure
that they meet the regulatory requirements.
Contact ASC or PAAB
What information can you find here?
In this section, you will find regularly updated information on regulatory
advertising requirements, sources of assistance in meeting those requirements, as well as information
about some of the projects that we are involved in.
Contact the Regulatory Advertising and Risk Communications Section in Health Canada’s Marketed Health Products Directorate.
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