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In the interest of service, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns all holders of Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), Marketing Authorization and Special Permits, and stakeholders not to promote/ advertise prescription drug products in any forms of mass media, specifically on online selling platforms and social media market places.

Declaring as a policy of the State to protect the consumer from misleading advertisements and fraudulent sales promotion practices as stated in the Article 108 of Republic Act No. 7394, otherwise known as the “Consumer Act of the Philippines”, and prohibited promotion and advertisement of ethical or prescription drugs as stated in the Section 2 of Administrative Order No. 65 s. 1989, entitled “Guidelines on Advertisement and Promotions to Implement the Generics Act of 1988.” As such, the FDA hereby reiterates that the promotion and advertisement of prescription drugs in the country is prohibited and punishable by law. Likewise, any marketing activity related to unregistered or unauthorized drugs is also prohibited.

Only FDA-registered non-prescription or over-the-counter drug products can be advertised or promoted to the general public under the existing regulations. Except through medical journals, publications, or literature exclusively meant for medical and associated professionals, no pharmaceutical product categorized as a prescription or ethical drug shall be advertised or promoted in any form of mass media. Any claim in advertisements, promotions, sponsorships and other marketing activities should be confined to claims approved by the FDA.

Currently, FDA only allows online ordering and delivery services provided that the seller has an existing licensed-pharmacy with physical address. The said services are additional activities of the pharmacy subject for approval of FDA. The patient or customer is required to present a prescription or e-prescription upon ordering of any prescription drug.

Consumers are advised to purchase all their medicines only from legitimate FDA-licensed drug outlets.

To report on the promotion and advertisement of prescription drug products, kindly email us at [email protected] or eReport at www.fda.gov.ph/ereport. You may also call the Center for Drug Regulation and Research at telephone number (02) 8809-5596. For the suspected adverse drug reactions (ADR), kindly report immediately through this link: https://primaryreporting.who-umc.org/PH.

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