Meta rejected our telehealth ad for promoting prescription drugs

What Meta's prescription drug policy requires

Meta allows prescription drug ads "in order to share information around medical efficacy, accessibility and affordability of different types of treatments." It limits who can run them: "Eligibility for authorization is limited to online pharmacies, telehealth providers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers." Once a business is authorized, Meta says it can run these ads as long as it meets four conditions:

• "Only target people in eligible countries (United States, Canada or New Zealand)."
• "Only target people in the countries in which they are certified."
• "Only target people 18 years or older."
• "Comply with all other applicable policies."

Why a telehealth ad gets caught

Meta defines a telehealth provider as "an entity that promotes or facilitates access to online health-related services, such as the prescription of pharmaceutical products for consumers via telecommunications and digital communication technologies." Most GLP-1, TRT, ED and hair loss programs fit that definition.

An ad doesn't have to say buy to promote a drug. Meta's examples of what authorized advertisers can do include "Listing the price of the prescription drug", "Offering paid or free delivery of prescription drugs to customer" and "Specifying availability (e.g. indicating that prescription drugs are in-stock)". Without authorization, patterns like these put the ad in scope:

• A drug name, such as semaglutide, tirzepatide or testosterone, in the headline, image or video.
• A monthly price for the medication, or a promise that it ships to the patient's door.
• A landing page that leads with the drug rather than the consultation.

What you can run without authorization

Meta's help page says "advertisers don't need authorization to run ads that only" do one of two things. If you can sell the visit rather than the medication, this is the faster path:

• "Educate, advocate or give public service announcements related to prescription drugs"
• "Promote telehealth services generally"

Fix the ad, or get authorized

1. Read the rejection reason. Meta sends "an email notification and a link to Meta Business Support Home where you can find the reason for the rejection."
2. Decide which path fits. If the ad needs to name, price or offer delivery of the drug, you need authorization. If it can sell the visit, rewrite it around the consultation, the clinician and the care, with no drug name in the copy, image or video.
3. To get authorized as a telehealth provider or online pharmacy, get LegitScript certification first. Then open the Authorizations and verifications tab in Meta Business Suite, click View details next to Prescription drugs ads, click Request authorization, choose your business type and select Verify using LegitScript.
4. Enter the website URL that LegitScript certified. Meta warns: "If the URL you provide has not been certified or is not in good standing with LegitScript, you will not be able to proceed with the next step."
5. Set every ad set that mentions the drug to people 18 or older, in the countries you are certified for. Then track which approved ads bring in booked consultations. Curve Compliance sends those conversions to Meta server-side under neutral event names, so the event Meta receives doesn't name the medication.
6. If you believe the rejection was a mistake, request another review in Business Support Home. Meta says "We aim to review and provide a decision within 48 hours."

What not to do

Repeated rejections are how many account restrictions start. Meta says "You can be restricted from advertising for severe or repeated ad violations." If that has already happened, read what to do when a Meta ad account is disabled.

• Don't delete the rejected ad and upload it again. Meta says that if you delete the ad, "you may lose your ability to request another review if you believe your ad was incorrectly rejected."
• Don't misspell the drug name or move it into the image to get past review. The violation stays on record either way: "Editing or deleting an ad that was rejected for violating Advertising Standards will not remove the violation from your account".
• Don't open another ad account or business portfolio to run the same ads. See whether to open a new ad account after a restriction.
• Don't let certification lapse. Meta says "If Meta determines that you no longer have an active LegitScript certification, your authorization status may be revoked."

Talk to Curve

LegitScript and Meta handle authorization. Curve makes sure you can see what the approved ads bring in. Curve's team sets up HIPAA-compliant, server-side conversions to Meta and your other platforms, detects PHI-like patterns before data reaches an ad platform, and keeps attribution through booking tools such as IntakeQ, Calendly and Jane. Setup is done for you, typically live in about a week, with a BAA signed on every plan. Book a call with Curve.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Meta Transparency Center: Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (Advertising Standards)
• Meta Business Help Center: About Meta's Prescription Drugs advertising policy
• Meta Transparency Center: Health and Wellness (Advertising Standards)
• Meta Business Help Center: How to troubleshoot a rejected ad

Last verified October 5, 2026

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