Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) advertising code
Australian Business & ComplianceAlso: TGA advertising code · Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code
Quick definition
The Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code governs how therapeutic goods, medicines, medical devices and many supplements, can be advertised to the public in Australia. It restricts the claims you can make, bans references to serious conditions, limits testimonials and requires certain statements. It is enforced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration with real penalties.
How it varies across Australia
The wellness and supplement brands that scale cleanly in Australia treat the code as a creative brief, not a blocker. The ones that get pulled lean on the language that converts elsewhere, cure, treat, clinically proven, and discover the Australian rules do not allow it.
See how health and wellness marketing varies across Australian industries →What it actually means
The Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code sets the rules for advertising therapeutic goods to the public. Therapeutic goods is a broad category. It covers medicines, medical devices and many products marketers think of as wellness, including listed supplements and some skincare and health gadgets.
The code constrains marketing in several ways. There are hard limits, certain serious conditions cannot be referenced in advertising at all, and prescription medicines cannot be advertised to the general public. Claims must be truthful, substantiated and consistent with how the product is approved, so you cannot imply a benefit the product is not authorised to make. Testimonials and endorsements are restricted, particularly from health professionals. And certain mandatory statements, like advice to read the label or consult a professional, are required.
It is enforced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which can issue infringement notices and pursue larger penalties, and it works alongside the consumer regulator's general rules on misleading conduct.
For marketers in health, wellness and supplements, the practical effect is that the most persuasive claims, that a product cures, treats or fixes something, are usually the ones the code restricts most tightly. The work is to market the genuine, approved benefit compellingly within those limits, rather than reaching for medical language the product cannot legally own.
In therapeutic goods, the claim that converts best is often the exact claim the code will not let you make.
How it shows up
Risk shows up in any claim that a product treats, cures or prevents a condition, in health-professional endorsements, and in references to serious illnesses. The practical check is to test every claim against what the product is actually approved to say, and to assume the most persuasive medical-sounding language is the most likely to breach.
The Australian context
The Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code is the Australian regime and is stricter and more specific than the rules in some markets where supplement and wellness claims are loosely policed. Imported creative for supplements, devices or wellness products frequently breaches it, because the source-market claims are exactly the ones the code restricts. Any therapeutic goods campaign needs an Australian compliance review before launch, not a generic global sign-off.
Where people get this wrong
Related terms
Common questions
What does the TGA advertising code cover?
Advertising of therapeutic goods to the public, including medicines, medical devices and many supplements. It restricts claims, bans references to certain serious conditions, prohibits advertising prescription medicines to the public, limits testimonials and requires certain mandatory statements.
Do the rules apply to supplements and wellness products?
Often yes. Many supplements, devices and wellness products are therapeutic goods under the code. Brands from less regulated categories frequently do not realise it applies to them, which is how they end up breaching it.
What claims are most likely to breach the code?
Claims that a product cures, treats or prevents a condition, references to serious illnesses, and endorsements from health professionals. The most persuasive medical-sounding language is usually the most tightly restricted.
Can I use overseas creative for an Australian supplement campaign?
Not without review. The code is stricter than many markets, and imported supplement or wellness claims are often exactly what it restricts. Any therapeutic goods campaign needs an Australian compliance check before it runs.
About New Rebellion
New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.
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