If you’re a naturopath or healthcare provider who can prescribe medication, recent Google Ads policy changes mean you’ll soon need Health-Related Advertising certification — even if you’re not promoting prescription drugs directly.
Google is tightening enforcement of its Healthcare and Medicines Policy starting October 29, 2025, with full rollout over 4–6 weeks. The update expands restrictions on “prescription drug terms” in ads, landing pages, and keywords.
What’s Changing
According to Google’s official notice:
Advertisers can use prescription-drug terms in ad copy and on landing pages only if compliant with local laws (Canada, New Zealand, United States).
Certification will be required to keyword-target those terms.
Certification will also be mandatory for online pharmacies, telemedicine providers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The full list of monitored terms is published in Google’s non-exhaustive list of prescription drugs and active ingredients.
Why Naturopaths Are Affected
This update doesn’t just hit traditional prescribers.
Naturopaths in certain provinces or U.S. states can prescribe medications such as thyroid hormones or bio-identical hormones. Even if their websites mention conditions treated with prescription agents, Google’s systems may flag those keywords as restricted.
The issue isn’t just the website copy — it’s keyword targeting.
Many practitioners think they can sidestep the rules by deleting prescription terms from their website, but the trigger is the keyword list, not only the landing-page text. If your campaign bids on or matches restricted terms, certification is still required.
Lessons from Botox Advertising
This situation mirrors what happened with Botox and other toxin treatments, where certification was required long before this change. If you’d like a deeper explanation, read our earlier article:
Google Ads, Botox, and Speculative or Experimental Treatments
What About “Naturopath” Keywords?
Ads can’t even target the word “naturopath” itself. Google’s automated systems often block it because:
The term frequently appears in contexts involving regulated health claims or prescription substances.
In some regions, “naturopathic doctor” implies a licensed prescriber.
To avoid risk, Google restricts the whole term, even though not all naturopaths prescribe drugs.
What to Do Next
If you run Google Ads in Canada, New Zealand, or the U.S. and your clinic:
Mentions prescription-only treatments (e.g., hormones, thyroid, injectables), or
Uses keywords related to those terms,
you’ll likely need to complete Google’s Health-Related Advertising certification to keep your campaigns running smoothly.
Many advertisers do not get approved simply because the documentation they submitted did not “answer the questions” that Google has. The most difficult aspect of certification is gathering the required documents and ensuring they are all consistent.
DriveTraffic has experience in this area and is ready to help.
- About the Author
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Darlene is a search marketer, analyst, speaker, trainer, and owner of DriveTraffic Digital Marketing. She has been working in the digital marketing industry since the mid 90s and has narrowed her specialty to SEO, Google Ads and Google Analytics. She is especially interested in Google’s new Search Generative Experience and how businesses will need to adapt to remain visible. Want to see how DriveTraffic can help? Let’s chat!
