Healthcare and Medicines Policy in Merchant Center: Fix

What this issue means

Healthcare and medicines is restricted content under Google's Shopping ads policies. It covers:

• Prescription drugs. In the United States and some other countries, online pharmacies can promote prescription drugs only if they're accredited by a recognized program, such as LegitScript, the NABP's VIPPS program or the .pharmacy program, and certified by Google. Prescription opioid painkillers can't be promoted.
• Over-the-counter medicines. Rules vary by country. In the US, Google doesn't require certification to promote OTC medicines, but other countries have their own requirements.
• Unapproved pharmaceuticals and supplements. Google maintains a list of unapproved substances, such as products containing ephedra, that can't be promoted regardless of claims that they're legal.
• Specific restricted ingredients, such as DHEA and melatonin, which Google restricts except where countries allow them.
• Pregnancy and fertility products, which have their own country rules.

Enforcement can be product disapprovals, limited visibility or an account-level warning. Health claims that are improbable or harmful can also fall under Misrepresentation as unreliable claims.

Why it happens

• Supplements with restricted ingredients. A single ingredient on Google's unapproved list disapproves the product, even if it's legal where you sell.
• Prescription products without certification, including some contact lenses, prescription-strength creams or pet medications.
• OTC medicine in a country that requires certification for it.
• Medical claims. "Cures," "treats," "prevents" or "doctor-approved" language on supplements, wellness products or devices.
• Wording that sounds pharmaceutical, like naming a drug or a condition in a supplement title.
• CBD and hemp products, whose treatment depends on the product and country.
• Weight-loss and performance products with ingredients or claims Google restricts.

How to fix it

1. Export the flagged products from Products, then Needs attention, filtered by the Healthcare and medicines issue.
2. Sort them into three groups:
   • Allowed with certification (for example, prescription drugs from an accredited pharmacy)
   • Allowed in some countries only
   • Not allowed at all (unapproved substances)
3. Remove unapproved substances from the feed. Check every ingredient against Google's unapproved substances list, not only the product name.
4. Apply for certification if you're eligible. Licensed online pharmacies must get the required third-party accreditation first, then apply for Google's healthcare certification for the countries they target.
5. Restrict by country. If a product is allowed in some target countries but not others, exclude it from the ones where it isn't allowed.
6. Rewrite claims. Remove disease-treatment and cure claims from supplements, wellness items and devices. Describe what the product is and what it contains.
7. Check the website too. Product pages, blogs and banners shouldn't make claims your listings avoid.
8. Keep documentation of ingredients, approvals and licenses in case the review asks for it.

How to request a review

For disapproved products, edit the listing or use the appeal option in Needs attention. Edits trigger a re-review automatically.

For account-level issues, go to View setup and policy issues or click the Review and fix banner, then request a review once all non-compliant products and claims are gone. If you've applied for healthcare certification, Google's certification process is separate from the account review, so complete it first where it applies.

How long it takes

Google says account reviews typically take about 7 business days, longer when complex. Certification applications follow their own timeline after your third-party accreditation is in place, and accreditation itself can take a while. Plan for this rather than relisting products early.

Review requests are limited, and repeated failures can lead to waiting periods.

How to prevent it

• Check ingredients against Google's unapproved list before adding new supplements.
• Keep a list of banned claim words for health products.
• Keep certification current and covering every country you target.
• Separate restricted products into their own feed or label so you can include or exclude them quickly.
• Re-check Google's policy page periodically, since healthcare rules change by country.

Health products are one of the more complex areas of Shopping policy. Mercantads can review your catalog ingredient by ingredient, rewrite risky claims and request the review. Contact us or see our Merchant Center service.