Erectile dysfunction

Only licensed Over The Counter (OTC) medicines for the treatment of ED can be referred to in ads. Ads for services acceptable under Rule 11.9 of the BCAP Code offering treatment for ED should not refer directly or indirectly to Prescription Only medicines (POMs).

General references to the availability of medication for ED are unlikely to be acceptable. If the advertiser offers both prescription only and OTC drugs for ED, the ad copy must be explicit about what is being offered; e.g. ‘medication is Viagra Connect/Cialis Together Always read the label’. Ads should only include a web address that exclusively refers to an OTC medicine or to advisory services acceptable under Rule 11.9. Alternatively, where an ad includes a call to action including a web page, that page must not link directly to the offer of POMs (these should be at least 2 clicks away).

Other therapies or devices that claim to treat ED could only be offered by a service acceptable under Rule 11.9 and where the treatment was supported by robust clinical evidence demonstrating safety and efficacy that has been approved by our medical consultant.

While restrained, factual content is likely to be acceptable, explicit references may trigger the application of a timing restriction.