General

What are the medical claims allowed in advertisement of weight loss product?

The use of the word 'weight loss' or 'slimming' in advertisement of weight loss product are allowed according to the terms and conditions set by MAB. Please consult and seek advice from MAB's Secretariat before putting that claim in the advertisements.

Can I sponsor a radio show to promote my medicinal product?

You may sponsor the radio show but any medicinal product advertisements on the radio require approval from MAB. The approval is valid for a period of 3 years calendar. However "caller segment" is not permitted.

How to ensure that an advertisement has been approved by MAB?

All advertisements that have been approved by MAB were given approval number (eg KKLIU 1234/2021). Advertisement approval number must be displayed on every advertisement. If any pharmaceutical product or health service advertisements were found without approval or not displaying their KKLIU number, members of the public may launch a complaint to the secretariat of Medicine Advertisement Board.

Why have I received a warning letter regarding an advertisement published by my company even though the advertisement does not contain any excessive medical claims?

All registered medicinal product advertisements requires prior approval from the Medicine Advertisement Board before they are published, eventhough it does not have any excessive medical claims.

How to make a complaint if I found a product which is not registered with Ministry of Health?

Complaints can be made through phone call, email or via online HERE. You may also lodge your complaints to any nearby Pharmacy Enforcement Branch office.

How to identify registered drugs or pharmaceutical products?

All pharmaceutical products including health supplements and traditional preparations must be registered with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) of Malaysia before being marketed in Malaysia. Evaluation of the products' quality, safety and efficacy (except for traditional preparations and health supplements) are carried out to ensure safety to the public.

This to ensure that products registered with the DCA are safe to be taken by the public. Products registered with the DCA has two main features, the registration number and genuine hologram sticker. The registration number starts with 'MAL', followed by eight numbers, and ending with the letter T,A,X or N.

To check the list of products registered with the DCA, visit the official website of the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, www.npra.gov.my. Click on the 'Registered Product Search' (Quest 3) and enter the details of the product to start the search.

To check the authenticity of the hologram sticker, use the Meditag hologram decoder available at the nearby pharmacy shop.

Is advertisement on Aesthetic services allowed?

Aesthetic services are catogorised as medical treatment and should be conducted by a registered medical practitioner. It can be only be advertised with the approval of the MAB.

Must advertisements related to services offered at fitness centers get approval from the MAB?

The MAB does not control advertisements related to services offered by fitness centers provided that no medical services are advertised.

Can food product advertisements have medical claims such as reducing blood sugar level?

Advertisement of food products are not allowed to make any medical claims such as reducing blood sugar level.  Diabetes mellitus is one of the 20 types of diseases that is prohibited to be advertised as stipulated under the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956.

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