TGA publishes ad report

THE Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has released its 2020-21 report on Advertising Compliance, detailing a busy year dealing with over 2,070 reports of alleged advertising breaches.

COVID-19 was a key focus, with the agency taking “a range of strong and timely actions with warnings, cease and desist notices and a number of cases proceeding to infringement notices”.

A directions notice was issued for the unlawful advertising of ivermectin as a cure for COVID-19, while the TGA ordered the remediation of a website including removal of references to a homeopathic COVID-19 product.

The TGA also issued more than $1.3 million in infringement notices, and ordered the removal of “several hundred advertisements from online shopping platforms”.

Key cases highlighted included compliance action taken against Lorna Jane and Pete Evans Chef making unauthorised COVID-19 claims relating to their products, while the TGA also highlighted examples of illegal advertising of unregistered weight loss products by community pharmacies and eBay Australia sellers.

Medicinal cannabis was also a focus, with the TGA reviewing over 450 complaints as it undertook risk assessments to identify Australian entities unlawfully advertising medical cannabis items while also recognising the need to support legal pathways for access.

Going forward, the TGA said “now more than ever we must continue to direct our focus toward public health and safety and ensuring that Australians can continue to be confident that advertisements are truthful and support the appropriate use of therapeutic goods”.

See the report at tga.gov.au.