TGA publishes guidance on when news reporting about therapeutic goods may be advertising

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said on 29 September that it has published new guidance to help journalists and news organisations work out when reporting on therapeutic goods may be regulated as advertising. The guidance page itself is dated 28 September 2026.

According to the TGA, content presented as news may be regulated as advertising under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 if, assessed objectively and as a whole, it promotes the use or supply of a therapeutic good. The regulator said this can apply even to editorial, educational or public-interest content.

The guidance lists factors the TGA says may indicate promotional content. These include unbalanced language that over-emphasises benefits, involvement of a party with a commercial interest such as a sponsor or PR agency, and testimonials or endorsements framed to encourage use. Calls to action or links directing readers to obtain a product are also listed. The TGA said reporting is unlikely to be considered advertising where it meets journalistic standards, is independently produced, is in the public interest and does not promote a product through its framing.

The guidance also outlines limited exceptions for broadcasters and publishers of print newspapers and magazines, and gives four worked examples. The guidance does not refer to medicinal cannabis specifically. The TGA has previously taken enforcement action over alleged unlawful advertising of medicinal cannabis, according to its medicinal cannabis news page.

Source: Therapeutic Goods Administration — TGA releases new guidance to explain when news content may be advertising (published 29 September 2026)

Additional source: Therapeutic Goods Administration — Determining when news is subject to the therapeutic goods advertising rules (published 28 September 2026)