GLP-1 Advertising Rules for 2026: What Telehealth Brands Can Run on Meta and Google

Last updated: November 13, 2026 · By Jason Garrett, Founder, Coast Studio. Not legal advice — review claims with counsel.

Short answer: Three rule sets govern GLP-1 ads. The platforms decide who may promote prescription drugs: LegitScript certification plus Meta authorization or Google certification. FDA and FTC rules decide what you may claim, and FDA's 2026 warning letters target compounded GLP-1 marketing. Meta's data restriction decides what your pixel may report. Most GLP-1 telehealth brands run into all three.

Layer 1: platform eligibility

Question	Meta	Google
Who may promote prescription GLP-1s?	Telehealth providers and online pharmacies with active LegitScript certification and Meta authorization; manufacturers through Meta's review	Certified online pharmacies, telemedicine providers, and manufacturers
Where?	United States, Canada, and New Zealand	Only locations where you hold certification
Who can you target?	People 18 and older	Per Google's healthcare rules for the location
What runs without certification?	Education and general telehealth service ads	In the US, Canada, and New Zealand, ads and landing pages may mention prescription drugs; targeting prescription drug keywords requires certification. Prescribing telehealth providers need certification as a business type.
Required disclaimer	Direct people to consult a licensed health professional or obtain a valid prescription	Follow the location's healthcare requirements
Your own audiences	Subject to Meta's data restriction (Layer 3)	Customer Match and your data segments are restricted for sensitive health ads; certification leaves the restriction in place

Our LegitScript guide covers cost and process.

Layer 2: FDA rules on compounded GLP-1 claims

FDA sent 30 warning letters to telehealth companies on March 3, 2026, and 25 more on June 16, 2026, over website claims about compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide. On April 1, 2026, FDA said a compounded semaglutide with vitamin B12 may still count as essentially a copy of an approved drug. The letters target the same handful of claims.

Revised copy and certification leave a separate question open: whether your product may lawfully be compounded or sold. Settle that with counsel and your pharmacy before you advertise.

Claim FDA has flagged	Safer direction (confirm with counsel)
Compounded semaglutide is generic Wegovy or Ozempic	Name the product as compounded and state it is not FDA-approved
Same as the brand-name drug	Describe your care program and clinician oversight
Same active ingredient as the brand	Drop sameness language entirely
Clinically proven	Cite the approved drug's studies only for the approved drug
Made in an FDA-approved facility	Describe the pharmacy accurately: registered, licensed, or 503A or 503B as true
Branding that suggests the telehealth company compounded the drug	Identify the pharmacy that actually compounds it

Layer 3: Meta's weight-loss rules and data restriction

Meta's Health and Wellness policy limits weight-loss ads to people 18 and older and bars statements that attack a person's appearance, close-ups that pinch fat on a body part, and claims that results come solely from wearable products. Separately, Meta places most GLP-1 telehealth sites in its health and wellness category, which can restrict Purchase and other events. That restriction sits outside ad review. See our guide to Meta health and wellness restrictions.

What a compliant GLP-1 setup looks like

Certify the business with LegitScript, then apply for Meta authorization and Google certification.
Audit every page, ad, and creator script against FDA's flagged claims.
If HIPAA applies to you, route tracking through a server-side vendor that signs a BAA. Either way, send only events whose names, parameters, and meaning disclose no health information. Meta's Business Tools Terms cover what an event means as well as its name.
Optimize on events the platforms accept, and confirm custom events in Meta's review. Confirmation alone does not establish compliance.
On Google, set AI Max text guidelines and URL exclusions. Text guidelines are a Google beta with limits, so review what the automation serves.
Review every creative against Meta's Advertising Standards before it runs.

FAQ

Can I run GLP-1 ads on Facebook and Instagram?
Yes, with active LegitScript certification and Meta authorization, targeting adults in the United States, Canada, or New Zealand. Without them, you can promote your telehealth service in general terms.

Can I run GLP-1 ads on Google?
Yes, once you hold the certification Google requires for your business type and target only approved locations. In the US, Canada, and New Zealand, targeting prescription drug keywords requires certification, and prescribing telehealth providers need it whatever their copy says. Customer Match and your data segments stay restricted for sensitive health ads.

Can I say compounded semaglutide is the same as Wegovy?
No. FDA's 2026 warning letters target sameness and equivalence claims about compounded GLP-1s.

Can I use before-and-after photos?
Meta's current policy names no blanket ban. It bars close-ups that pinch fat and copy that attacks a person's appearance. Review each transformation image against the policy before it runs.

Why did my GLP-1 purchase event stop reporting?
Meta's health and wellness data restriction is the likely cause. Read the blocking reason in Events Manager. See Meta blocked your Purchase event.

Do supplements marketed as GLP-1 alternatives need certification?
Meta and Google name no certification for them. Google prohibits products marketed as implying effectiveness equal to prescription drugs, so a GLP-1 alternative claim can block the ad. Weight-loss rules and FDA and FTC claim rules also apply.

Sources

Not legal advice. Review claims with counsel.