What is meant by “approved by the health ministers” in Clause 26.1?

Clause 26.1 states that “Prescription only medicines must not be advertised to the public. This prohibition does not apply to vaccination and other campaigns carried out by companies and approved by the health ministers.”

“…approved by the health ministers” in Clause 26.1, in practice, refers to approval being required by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Please note that approval by the health ministers is not required for company disease awareness campaigns. The supplementary information to Clause 26.2 includes that disease awareness can be conducted by a company provided that the purpose is to encourage members of the public to seek treatment for their symptoms while in no way promoting the use of a specific medicine. The use of brand or non-proprietary names and/or restricting the range of treatments described in the campaign might be likely to lead to the use of a specific medicine. Particular care must be taken where the company’s product, even though not named, is the only medicine relevant to the disease or symptoms in question.  Attention is drawn to the Blue Guide Appendix: Disease Awareness Campaign Guidelines produced by the MHRA.

(Last revised: June 2025)