I can't help but think that pressure from "Big Pharma" is extending its tentacles into the search engine world to protect bloated profits.
The first two points make good sense, however the third policy point could be open to interpretation and to me could potentially exclude all importation into U.S. of "generic" drugs which cost much, much less that "brand" drugs. Am I off base here? Looking forward to other opinions.
clearly indicate on your website that an existing
prescription is required to purchase prescription drugs.Pharmaceutical ads may not target the UK for any reason.
Ads or keywords to the United States for drugs not approved by the FDA are NOT allowed.
[edited by: Shak at 10:17 pm (utc) on June 23, 2003]
AdWordsAdvisor
"reductil" and "uprima" play the game completely or not at all!
DaveN
I think you mean they are still being advertised but surely its only a matter of time....
Tick tock.
In the long run though things may get a little better... as all the legals on this are addressed.
DaveN
I was reading a post in the business section of this and someone was trying to value a business that had a 1000,000+ turnover, a good margin and was doing well.
The variables involved however of achieving these numbers rely so heavily on google that the risk of something going wrong like a drop in rank almost make it impossible to purchase.
I think the only way around this is for the person looking to buy a google based commerce site is to buy google itself.
We could go fifty-fifty if you like?
shak are you in?
GONE IN THE UK
Daven
Could you clarify, please?
I may not be able to respond right away, however. I was just about to create a new thread to say that I'll be out of the office until Tuesday, Sept 23rd.
Between this evening and the 23rd, I most likely won't be able to post to this forum. (And yes, I will miss it!)
So please don't think I am ignoring your questions - or that I have fallen off the face of the earth.
Pharmaceutical ads may not target the UK for any reason
Is this absolute? (ie. brand names AND generic names?)
What is the technical definition of "pharmaceuticals" that Google is operating under?
I was looking for some sort of guidelines as to what is (& what is not) allowed.
Sorry for the delay, but it is rather late, and no policy expert 'in the house' to consult. Please bear with me.
DaveN
And thanks Brett, for bringing it back to the first page with your very polite *cough*. ;)
These questions are a bit out of my arena - so I still need to check with an expert, and I'll post ASAP. Sorry for the delay - and thanks for the patience!
I think the best way to answer this question is to quote the original email that was sent to all pharmaceuticals advertisers, and then offer a few points of clarification:
Excerpt from original email:
Dear AdWords advertiser,We would like to inform you of an update to the Google AdWords ad policy. All websites promoting pharmaceuticals must now meet certain advertising requirements.
If you offer prescription drugs on your site, please review the new requirements below and update your AdWords campaigns accordingly within the next seven business days. After this time, our AdWords Specialists will begin reviewing all affected accounts and disable ads and/or keywords that are not in compliance with this new policy.
We appreciate your assistance in ensuring that your ads, keywords, and website are compliant with the requirements listed below.
REQUIREMENTS
1. You must clearly indicate on your website that an existing prescription is required to purchase prescription drugs. Or, you may offer a consultation with a qualified medical doctor to obtain the required prescription.
2. You must remove United Kingdom (UK) from your campaign targeting entirely. Pharmaceutical ads may not target the UK for any reason.
3. You may not target ads or keywords to the United States for drugs not approved by the FDA.
Additional notes: Complexity enters the picture when 'pharmaceuticals' are concerned, because a drug that is over the counter in one country may be a prescription drug in another.
Advertisers that include prescription drugs in their keywords, ad text, or site content must adhere to these specific criteria. Ads and/or keywords that do not meet the criteria will be disapproved when reviewed, and this is done on a case-by-case basis taking into account all factors including country targeting.
"1. You must clearly indicate on your website that an existing prescription is required to purchase prescription drugs. Or, you may offer a consultation with a qualified medical doctor to obtain the required prescription. "
