Pharmaceutical manufacturers

Google provides translated versions of the Advertising Policies Help Center, though they're not meant to change the content of the policies. The English version is the official language used to enforce Google Ads policies. To view this article in a different language, use the language dropdown at the bottom of the page.

Display & Video 360 users must comply with this Google Ads policy. Visit the Display & Video 360 help center for additional restrictions.

Google Ads is dedicated to following advertising regulations for healthcare and medicine, so ads and destinations are expected to follow appropriate laws and industry standards. Some types of healthcare-related content can’t be advertised at all, while others can only be advertised in certain locations by advertisers who have applied and been approved to advertise those products or services using Google Ads.

Learn more about the Healthcare and medicines policy.

Violations of this policy will not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. A warning will be issued at least 7 days prior to any suspension of your account. Learn more about suspended accounts.

On this page

• About the policy
• Apply for healthcare certification
• Options to fix

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Google allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to advertise in select locations only. Pharmaceutical manufacturers must be certified by Google in order to serve ads.

Prescription drugs

Pharmaceutical manufacturers may promote prescription drugs in the following locations:

• Canada
• New Zealand
• United States

Pharmaceutical manufacturers may not promote prescription opioid painkillers.

Over-the-counter medicines

Pharmaceutical manufacturers may promote over-the-counter medicines in the following locations:

• Australia • Austria • Brazil • Canada • China • Czech Republic • France • Germany • Hungary • Hong Kong • India • Italy • Japan • Kenya

• Mexico • Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • The Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Russia • Slovakia • South Korea • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom • United States

Other manufacturers and suppliers

Bulk drug manufacturers, medical professional suppliers, and suppliers of antibodies, peptides, and compounds for commercial labs may advertise in the following locations only:

• Canada
• United States

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Apply to advertise healthcare and medicines

Before applying, identify the specific type of healthcare certification required based on the services or products you advertise (for example, Online Pharmacy, Addiction Services, Telemedicine, Health Insurance, or Pharmaceutical manufacturer). Do not apply for a category that does not match your business model. For some certifications, you may need to obtain third-party accreditation first (for example, from LegitScript, NABP, or G2).

1. Adhere to all location-specific requirements. If your campaign targets a location that isn't listed, then Google Ads doesn't allow the promotion of those products in that location. Make sure that your website is fully functional, globally accessible, and meets all policy requirements for your target region and the specific certification type. If your application is denied, carefully review the denial reason. It may be due to your website not meeting these criteria or containing terms (like prescription drug terms) which you are not certified. If so, make necessary changes and reapply, or reply to the rejection email with explanations if you believe it's an error.

2. For Health Insurance in the United States: Health insurance advertisers in the United States are required to be certified with G2RS before applying for Google Ads certification. Apply for G2RS Health Insurance Providers Certification first.

Advertisers registered with the US government to promote and sell Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans must obtain an additional certificate (applied for in the same Google Ads application) to promote and bid on ACA health insurance-related keywords.

3. Fill out the Google Ads online application form. Make sure applications are made at the child account level, not the MCC (Manager Account) level.

• Be sure to include your Google Ads customer ID (found at the top of your account pages) and the certified domain.
• Provide all requested information and any required documentation to avoid delays.
• If you are an agency applying on behalf of an advertiser, send documentation detailing your relationship with the advertiser or license holder.

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Options to fix

If this policy is affecting your ad, review your options to fix below.

Apply to advertise healthcare and medicines

If your ad was disapproved because you haven’t been approved to advertise and you meet the requirements, Apply for healthcare-related advertising. If you want to advertise in more than one location, submit a separate application for each location or group of locations.

Edit your ads to comply with this policy

Make sure that you’re only targeting locations that allow promotion of in-scope products and services and that you’re certified to advertise in all the locations you’re targeting. You can also choose a new landing page for your ad that complies with this policy.

1. Go to Ads within the Campaigns menu.
2. Hover over the ad or asset and select Edit.
3. Edit the ad or asset so that it complies with the policy.
4. Select Save. 

Your ad will be automatically reviewed again. Check the ad’s status in the “Ads & assets” page for updates.

Learn more about how to Fix an ad with policy violations.

Appeal policy decision

If you believe there’s been an error and that you haven’t violated Google Ads' policies, appeal the policy decision directly from your Google Ads account to request a review. If the review determines that your ads are compliant, they can run again. If you aren't able to fix these violations or choose not to, remove your ad to help prevent your account from becoming suspended in the future for repeated policy violations.