Meta ad rejected · Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
Why was my Meta prescription drug or telehealth ad rejected?
Meta only lets authorised online pharmacies, telehealth providers and drug manufacturers promote prescription drugs, and only to people 18 or older in the US, Canada or New Zealand where they are certified, and prescription weight-loss drugs such as GLP-1 medicines follow the same rules. Get authorization first, or keep the ad about your telehealth service in general.
What usually triggers it
- Promoting a prescription drug without authorization from Meta. Only online pharmacies, telehealth providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers are eligible.“Buy Alprazolam today and get it shipped to your door within 3 days.” (Meta’s own example)
- Advertising a prescription weight-loss drug as a general weight-loss product. Meta's Health and Wellness policy sends these to the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals rules, with their country and written permission requirements.“Get semaglutide online and start losing weight next week.”
- Targeting a country outside the United States, Canada or New Zealand, a country you are not certified in, or people under 18.“An authorised US telehealth brand targeting the UK and Australia.”
- Leaving out the disclaimer to consult a licensed health professional or obtain a valid prescription.“Order your prescription treatment in two clicks.” (no disclaimer)
- Running a telehealth ad built around a named prescription drug when you have no authorization. Meta allows general telehealth promotion without authorization, not prescription drug promotion.“Online doctor visits. Get [drug name] prescribed today.”
- Running the ad from an ad account that is not covered by your authorization.“Authorised on one ad account, but the campaign runs from a second account in the business portfolio.”
How to fix the ad
- Decide whether the ad promotes a prescription drug. Ads that only educate or give public service announcements about prescription drugs, or promote telehealth services generally, do not need authorization.
- If it does, check you are eligible. Online pharmacies and telehealth providers need active LegitScript certification. Pharmaceutical manufacturers can use LegitScript or Meta's internal review.
- Apply in Meta Business Suite: Settings, Authorizations and verifications, then View details next to Prescription drugs ads, then Request authorization.
- Target only the United States, Canada or New Zealand, only countries you are certified in, and only people 18 or older.
- Add a clear line telling people to consult a licensed health professional or obtain a valid prescription.
- To run ads from another ad account in the same business portfolio, extend your existing authorization to it through the same tab.
- For prescription weight-loss drugs, also follow the Health and Wellness rules on claims, such as no sensational promises of a specific result in a set time.
Risky wording, and safer wording
Illustrative examples to show the difference. Always check the full ad, image and landing page too.
| Risky | Safer |
|---|---|
| Buy weight-loss injections online, no prescription needed | Talk to a licensed clinician online about weight-loss treatment options. A prescription is only issued if it is right for you. (Authorised advertisers, eligible countries, 18+.) |
| Lose 15 kg with GLP-1 shots, delivered this week | Learn how GLP-1 medicines work and when doctors prescribe them. |
| Get [drug name] prescribed in 5 minutes | Online appointments with licensed doctors, seven days a week. |
| Struggling with ED? Pills delivered tonight. | Men's health consultations online with licensed doctors. (Prescription products need authorization.) |
| Cheapest [drug name] anywhere, order now | [Drug name], $X a month with free delivery. Consult a licensed health professional. (Authorised advertisers only.) |
If your ad is already rejected
- Read the reason in Meta Business Support Home. Check whether the problem is missing authorization, targeting, or the ad's wording.
- If you have no authorization, a review will not help. Apply for authorization first, or change the ad so it only promotes your telehealth service in general.
- If you are authorised, fix the countries, age or disclaimer, then edit the ad in Meta Ads Manager so it is reviewed again. Avoid deleting it if you might want a review, because a deleted ad may lose that option.
- If you believe the ad was compliant, request another review in Business Support Home. Meta aims to decide within 48 hours, and if it is rejected again you cannot request another review for that ad.
- Do not move the ad to another ad account, use coded drug names or send traffic through a different domain to get round review. Meta prohibits evading its enforcement, and repeated violations can restrict the account.
Check your next ad before you upload it
Paste the copy and add the image or video. The free checker scores the rejection risk, points to the exact words at fault and the Meta policy behind each one, and suggests a safer version. It estimates risk; it isn't a decision from Meta.
Likely to be rejected. Fix the flagged lines before you upload.
This supplement ad combines a personal-attribute callout, a specific weight-loss result, guaranteed results, clickbait and a URL shortener, so it is very likely to be rejected.
Are you struggling with belly fat? Our gummies helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!! See the before and after pics. Doctors hate this one trick.
GUARANTEED RESULTS
https://bit.ly/slim-offer
6 issues found · tap a highlight to jump to it
“Are you struggling with belly fat?” · primary text
The ad asserts a personal characteristic about the viewer by addressing them directly about a body condition.
Fix: Our gummies are designed to support a healthy metabolism.
“helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!!” · primary text
A specific weight-loss amount within a short timeframe is an exaggerated, unrealistic result, and supplement ads must target 18+.
Fix: Remove the specific result; use a general statement such as 'Part of a balanced routine for healthy weight management.'
“GUARANTEED RESULTS” · headline
Guaranteed results are a prohibited claim for health and weight-loss products.
Fix: Use 'Start your wellness routine today' or remove the claim entirely.
“Doctors hate this one trick.” · primary text
This is classic clickbait, and the triple exclamation marks add to the sensational tone.
Fix: Replace with 'Learn how our gummies fit into a healthy routine.'
“See the before and after pics.” · primary text
Before-and-after comparisons for weight loss are high risk and draw rejection.
Fix: Remove the before-and-after reference and focus on the product's ingredients.
“https://bit.ly/slim-offer” · landing page
URL shorteners hide the true destination and are high risk, and can lead to account-level enforcement.
Fix: Use the full, direct landing page URL on the brand's own domain.
Safer version
Are you struggling with belly fat? Our gummies helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!! See the before and after pics. Doctors hate this one trick.
GUARANTEED RESULTS
Meet our gummies, designed to support a healthy metabolism. Easy to add to your day and made to fit into a balanced routine for healthy weight management. Learn how they fit into a healthy routine.
Start your wellness routine today
Also change: Link: replace the bit.ly shortener with the full, direct URL on your own brand domain, and make sure the landing page has no before-and-after photos, guaranteed-result claims or specific weight-loss numbers. Creative: remove any before-and-after images and any overlay text about kilos lost. Show the product or lifestyle shots instead, with overlay text like "Support your healthy routine". Set ad targeting to 18+.
Questions
Can telehealth companies advertise on Meta without authorization?
Yes, if the ad promotes telehealth services generally. Promoting prescription drugs needs authorization, and telehealth providers must be actively certified with LegitScript to apply.
Which countries can prescription drug ads target?
Only the United States, Canada or New Zealand, and only the countries where you are certified. Ads must also target people 18 or older.
Do GLP-1 weight-loss drugs fall under this policy?
Meta's pages do not name GLP-1 drugs, but its Health and Wellness policy says weight-loss products that need a prescription fall under Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, with its country and written permission requirements.
What can an authorised advertiser say in the ad?
Meta's examples include listing the price, offering delivery, sales calls to action, saying the drug is in stock, comparisons with other brands, and price or delivery discounts.
How long does authorization take?
With LegitScript, Meta says you are told your status right away after submitting. Manufacturers using Meta's internal review are usually notified within 48 business hours, though it can take longer.
Do over-the-counter medicine ads have rules too?
Yes. Meta says they must follow local laws, industry codes and approvals, and must not target people under 18.
Meta's official pages
- Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (Meta Transparency Center)
- About Meta's Prescription Drugs advertising policy (Meta Business Help Center)
- Health and Wellness (Meta Transparency Center)
- How to troubleshoot a rejected ad (Meta Business Help Center)
- About Meta's Drugs and Pharmaceuticals advertising policy (Meta Business Help Center)
- Introduction to the Advertising Standards (Meta Transparency Center)
Ad Account Shield is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Meta.
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