At the request of industry, the National Coordinating Committee on Therapeutic Goods (NCCTG) has recently updated the guidelines for public advertising of therapeutic goods, known as the "NCCTG Advertising Guidelines". The Guidelines do not constitute an alternative or additional set of advertising requirements. They provide sponsors of therapeutic goods with a consensus view of the Commonwealth, State and Territory health authorities in regard to the interpretation and application of current code and legislative requirements.

The Guidelines were updated in response to the forthcoming commencement of the new accelerated drug listing process to be implemented via the Electronic Lodgement Facility (ELF). Readers will note that an Appendix has now been added to the Guidelines to include interpretations of the advertising provisions of the Therapeutic Goods Regulations in relation to: "temporary relief", oral hygiene goods, external ulcers, "advertorials", osteoporosis, "grandfathered" products and GMP statements.

It is emphasised that the full texts of the relevant Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code clauses adopted under the Regulations are included in the Guidelines in order to avoid the document being inappropriately used as a "stand alone" document. The Guidelines will only be distributed in conjunction with the complete, current TGAC, via the document entitled, "Advertising Therapeutic Goods to the Public".