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The Undesirable Medical Advertisements Ordinance (UMAO) prohibits the advertising of medicines,
surgical appliance or treatment for prevention or treatment of certain diseases or conditions in human beings as specified in Schedules 1 and 2 of the Ordinance.
The purpose is to protect the public from being induced by advertisements to seek improper self-medication or treatment. In order to widen the scope of the UMAO,
the Undesirable Medical Advertisements (Amendment) Ordinance 2005 (the Amendment Ordinance) was enacted by the Legislative Council in 2005.
The amendments related to the Schedules 1 and 2 have been implemented since 2006.
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One of the major amendments of the Ordinance is to extend the prohibition/ restriction on advertising to six-types of claims specified in a schedule (Schedule 4) which applies to all orally consumed products,
whether or not it is a medicine. While the Schedule 4 is planned for commencement, the Secretary for Food and Health shall appoint the commencement date and published in the Gazette later.
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Details of Ordinances can be referred to the UMAO and the Amendment Ordinance. In order to assist the trade to understand the Amendment Ordinance,
the Department of Health has prepared the "Guidelines on Undesirable Medical Advertisements Ordinance" and "Guidelines on the Undesirable Medical Advertisements (Amendment) Ordinance 2005" .
Members of the public are welcomed to download the guidelines or collect them from the Drug Office, 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon.
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Since the enactment of the Amendment Ordinance in 2005, the Department of Health has maintained communication with the trade and publishers through various channels. To facilitate the trade to understand the Amendment Ordinance, Department of Health has issued a set of guidelines for the public,
and conducted several briefing sessions for the trade and stakeholders.
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