LIFE SCIENCES | Veterinary medicinal product advertising on TikTok authorised by Italian Ministry of Health

Pharmaceutical companies operating in the veterinary sector are now permitted to advertise veterinary medicinal products on TikTok, following the official authorization issued by the Italian Ministry of Health This represents an extension of existing permissions already applicable to other social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The guidelines (outlined in the communication from the General Directorate for Animal Health dated May 9, 2025) provide a detailed regulatory framework governing the use of TikTok as a promotional channel. The prior approval of the Ministry is required for all advertising content disseminated on the platform.

The guidelines in question reiterate the restrictions and dissemination modalities on TikTok for veterinary products, as already provided for in the guidelines applicable to OTC and SOP medicinal products (published by the Ministry of Health on 20 July 2023).

However, an additional requirement has been introduced specifically for veterinary products, which is not provided for in the case of OTC and SOP medicines: where it is technically impossible to disable the sharing function on the platform, any promotional content must include the following mandatory disclaimer: “The Ministry of Health authorizes only the content of the advertising message. Any comments/reactions are the sole responsibility of the user. The company disclaims any association with user comments.”

Newsletter n. 109 – July 2025