Facebook ads for pharmacies in Malta.
What you can say, and what sells.

Yes, with care. Most of what a pharmacy sells can be advertised. That includes your shop, your services, your opening hours, and ranges like skincare, sun care, baby care and beauty.

Medicines are different. Malta’s Medicinal Products (Advertising) Regulations, 2005, known as S.L. 458.32, ban adverts for prescription-only medicines to the general public. Non-prescription medicines, called OTC (over the counter), can be advertised to the public, but each ad needs certain details.

Meta adds its own layer. Its drugs policy lets prescription drug ads run only in the United States, Canada and New Zealand, with extra checks. So a Malta pharmacy cannot run prescription medicine ads on Facebook at all.

That still leaves plenty to sell. The best pharmacy ads in Malta usually promote the visit, not a medicine.

The Medicines Authority explains the rules in its advertising guidelines, last updated in June 2024. They apply to websites and social media, not only to print. The system is self-regulation. The Medicines Authority does not check ads before they go out, but it monitors ads and handles complaints.

For OTC medicines, the guidelines list four details every public ad must carry. These are the product name as authorised, all active ingredients, the information needed for correct use, and a clear line telling people to “always read the leaflet”.

Two rules matter a lot on social media. Ads for medicines must not use recommendations from health professionals, scientists or celebrities. That rules out influencer posts for medicines, so our partnership ads guide applies to your skincare and beauty ranges, not to medicines. And medicine ads must not be aimed at children under 16.

Services are a grey area the guidelines speak to. Ads for treatment services fall outside S.L. 458.32. But they should not name prescription-only medicines. The Medicines Authority gives Botox as its example: it is prescription-only in Malta, so public ads must not mention it by name.

Pick what the ad promotes and answer six quick questions about the ad. The checker flags anything that breaks Malta’s medicines advertising rules or Meta’s ad standards, and tells you what to fix. It is a first check, not legal advice. Nothing you pick leaves this page.

Promote the visit. A pharmacy ad works best when it gives people a reason to come in this week. Good examples are a new skincare or sun care range, a baby care corner, a gift set before Christmas, or a free skin consultation if you offer one.

Use your hours. When your pharmacy is open on a Sunday or a public holiday, people search for exactly that. An ad aimed at your town that says “Open this Sunday, 9am to 12pm” is simple and useful. Use the hours on your own roster, and change the ad when they change.

Show your services. If you offer health checks, delivery or click-and-collect, say so plainly with the day, the price and the town. Do not name a prescription medicine in the ad.

Keep the area tight. Most people walk or drive a short way to a pharmacy. Target your town and the next few towns. Our guide to Facebook ads for retail shops shows how to set a small area and judge foot traffic.

1. Agree what to promote. Ranges, services and hours, not prescription medicines.
2. Check every medicine ad. The four required details, an 18+ audience, no endorsements and no health questions.
3. Write ads about the product. Never about the reader’s condition.
4. Target your area. Your town and nearby towns, with Sunday and holiday ads when you are open.
5. Report in euro. Messages, saved offers and visits, every month.

Malta Digital manages Facebook and Instagram ads from €1,249 a month plus ad spend, paid to Meta in your own ad account. Your pharmacist stays the final check on any medicine ad, because you hold the licence. We follow the rules in this guide on every ad we write. If an ad is turned down, our guide to a rejected Facebook ad explains the fixes.