ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Pharmaceutical manufacturers
Pharmaceutical manufacturers can advertise on Google Ads only in specific countries, and only after Google certifies them. Prescription drugs are allowed in Canada, New Zealand and the United States, and prescription opioid painkillers are not allowed. Apply for certification at the child account level with the certified domain, target only certified locations, then edit or remove the ad.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Disapproved for ads that are not approved.
- What stops
- Ads that are not approved stop serving.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Google issues a warning at least 7 days before any account suspension.
What it means
The policy requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to be certified by Google before their ads serve. The page puts it as: must be certified by Google in order to serve ads.
The rule reaches more than makers of prescription medicine. It also covers bulk drug manufacturers, suppliers to medical professionals, and suppliers of antibodies, peptides and compounds for commercial labs. Each product group has its own country list.
What actually triggers it
Prescription drugs targeted outside the list
Prescription drugs may be advertised in Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Targeting any other country breaks the rule for those products.
Over-the-counter medicines in a longer country list
Over-the-counter medicines have a longer list, which includes Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The list is country by country, so the same ad can be allowed in one place and not another.
A lab or professional supplier treated as a consumer product maker
Bulk drug manufacturers, suppliers to medical professionals, and suppliers of antibodies, peptides and compounds for commercial labs are named in the same policy. Their list is Canada and the United States only.
Opioid painkillers
Prescription opioid painkillers are not allowed for pharmaceutical manufacturers, whatever the country.
Fix it in this order
- In Google Ads, go to Ads under the Campaigns menu, and read the status of each disapproved ad.
- Work out which product group the business falls into, since each has its own country list.
- If the business meets the requirements, apply for healthcare-related advertising certification at the child account level, not the manager account level. Include the Google Ads customer ID and the certified domain, with a separate application for each location or group of locations.
- Target only the locations where the account is certified. Then select Edit on each ad, revise it or choose a compliant landing page, and select Save.
- If an ad cannot be fixed, remove it to help avoid future suspensions for repeated violations.
When to appeal
Appeal from the account if the ad is in a location the certification covers and you believe the decision is wrong. An appeal does not stand in for certification.
Often confused with
A pharmacy's sales rule, with suspension on detection. A manufacturer needs certification by country and gets a disapproval, not a suspension without warning.
Prescription opioid painkillers
Opioid painkillers are excluded for manufacturers in this policy. The opioid page sets the wider ban for all advertisers, with suspension on detection.