Drug advertisement in Canada: What you need to know
By Innomar Strategies
What should you be aware of when advertising in Canada vs. the US? How can you create compelling campaigns that fit Canada’s unique requirements? You’ll hear these tips and more in this video from Brenda Gryfe, Director, Regulatory Affairs. Learn how our team can help you more easily adapt to the nuances of this market.
The contents of this piece contain marketing statements and do not include business or legal advice.
Transcript of ‘How do drug advertisement regulations differ between Canada and the US?’
Every company wants an effective ad promo campaign, but there are differences in what that campaign would look like in the US and Canada. For the most part, I would say the scientific data that underlies the campaign has to be very similar for both Canada and the US. But the big difference is what you can say and to whom. But in Canada, actually, advertising to consumers of prescription drugs is limited just to name, price, and quantity. And unless your drug name is already on everybody's lips, you're not allowed to give any indication of what it's for, so this makes it very limiting.
Much of the advertising would be directed to the healthcare professional, and through them to their patients, so things like disease education campaigns. But in this day and age of digital, of course, everybody wants to try and use digital as much as possible. And how do you gate your website so that only the healthcare professional has access to it or only the patient has access to it? You have responsibilities to monitor for adverse events that might be posted out there or promotional messages that other people may be saying that you may be responsible for. Advertising can be complex in Canada and our professionals can provide training to your team and can also provide review services to support your drug campaign.
