Medicinal products

Advertisement and sales promotion permit

You will require a valid permit from us before publishing any medical advertisements or conducting any sales promotion activities directed to the general public for the following types of medicinal products:

• Chinese Proprietary Medicines
• Traditional Medicines
• Homoeopathic Medicines
• Quasi-medicinal products, such as medicated soaps, medicated plasters, medicated beverages, medicated toothpastes, lozenges, and vitamin and mineral preparations
• Medicated oils and balms
• Medicinal products not subject to licensing requirements, such as topical antiseptics

Requirements

• Include the permit number in the advertisement and sales promotion materials, or script for radio advertisement.
• The advertisement and sales promotion activity is published or conducted in accordance with the permit and has not been amended without prior approval by HSA.

Exceptions for trade, businesses or professions

A permit is not required for the following types of advertisements and sales promotion activities:

• Medical advertisements or sales promotion activities directed exclusively at a person who may lawfully sell or supply any medicinal product in the course of his trade, business or profession (such as healthcare professionals), and not accessible to the general public.
• “Reference advertisement” which contains a brief description of a medicinal product, its use, any contraindications and warnings appearing without charge in a publication which is sent or delivered to practitioners or pharmacists by a person who is not involved in the sale of or dealings in that medicinal product as a manufacturer, supplier, retailer, importer or exporter.
• “Trade advertisement” which is issued in a catalogue, price list or other document for the purpose of supplying the medicinal product by wholesale, but which does not contain any recommendation relating to the use of the product other than as part of the name of the product, or as part of any heading or sub-heading indicating a therapeutic classification.

What is not allowed

The proposed advertisement or promotion materials should not:

• Make any false or misleading claims or representations.
• Make unsubstantiated claims.
• Make comparative claims against another product or brand.
• Use scientific language and data which the public may not understand or be able to verify.
• Use exaggerated terms.
• Contain any language or image that causes fear, alarm, distress to the public of any disease or condition.
• Encourage inappropriate or excessive use.
• Suggest guaranteed results without side effects.
• Encourage incorrect use or self-treatment of serious diseases or discourage from seeking a medical professional's advice.
• Include any endorsement by healthcare professionals or public authority.
• Make use of names, logos and trade service marks of other institutions, companies without their permissions.
• Use the names or logos of HSA and any of our professional groups.
• Offer refunds, in full or partial amounts, to users of the product.

In addition, sales promotion activities directed at the general public should not:

• Offer a medicinal product free of charge with the purchase of a non-medicinal product.
• Offer prizes through lucky draws or contests with the purchase of the product with terms such as "win a prize" or "get a lucky draw" or equivalent.
• Use terms such as "free", "complimentary", "get a gift" or equivalent.
• Distribute samples of Chinese Proprietary Medicines, Traditional Indian and Malay medicines and Homoeopathic Medicines.

Application types

How to apply

You will need to submit your permit application through PRISM.

You will need the following in order to access  PRISM:

• CRIS company account
• CorpPass or HSA PIN

Fees and turn-around-time

Refer to the fees and turn-around-time for more information.

Traditional medicinal materials

Advertisements of traditional medicinal materials

Advertisements for traditional medicinal materials that contain medicinal claims need prior approval and must apply for an advertisement permit before advertising.

Advertisements with no medicinal claims do not need prior permit approval. However, dealers must adhere to these requirements:

• General health claims, such as claims on health maintenance, must be based on traditional or long-standing use, as documented in traditional medicine literature.
• Only accurate and factual product information may be advertised. All claims must be substantiated.
• Do not:
  • Make comparative claims against another product or brand.
  • Use scientific language and data which the public may not understand or be able to verify.
  • Use exaggerated terms.
  • Suggest guaranteed results and no side effects.
  • Include any endorsement by healthcare professionals or public authority without their permission.
  • Use the names or logos of HSA and any of our professional groups.