Advertising for veterinary medicinal products — The fundamentals

The provisions relating to the advertising of veterinary medicinal products are regulated by the European Regulation 2019/6 and supplemented, in France, by other obligations added in the Public Health Code (PHC). The main French provisions are as follows:

Advertising for veterinary medicinal products may only be carried out by the marketing authorisation holder (MAH) of the medicinal products concerned by the advertisement or by the representative declared by the MAH in accordance with the provisions of Article L.5142-1.5 - I of the PHC.

Only authorised veterinary medicinal products (marketing authorisation or parallel trade) or registered in France may be advertised in any form. 

Advertising in favour of veterinary medicinal products shall be authorised to physical person or legal entity authorised to issue them by Articles L. 5143-2 and L. 5143-6 of the PHC only for those whom they are authorised to prescribe or to issue.

Public advertising is only possible for veterinary medicinal products not subject to veterinary prescription.

Where medicinal products are being promoted to persons qualified to prescribe or supply them in accordance with the Regulation, no gifts, pecuniary advantages or benefit in kind may be supplied, offered or promised to such persons unless they are inexpensive and relevant to the practice of prescription or supply of medicinal products.

All advertising materials must be submitted to Anses-ANMV for declaration or authorisation, at least 2 months prior to their dissemination (transmission of the projects to publicite-anmv@anses.fr).