Belgium

On October 7, 2024, a long-anticipated Royal Decree concerning the advertising of veterinary medicines was published in The Belgian Official Journal. This RD will enter into force on 1 January 2025.

This decree outlines specific rules for promoting prescription and non-prescription veterinary medicines:

  • Prescription medicines:  Advertising is only allowed towards veterinarians and pharmacists and all materials need to be archived for a period of 5 years along with a detailed register.
  • Non-prescription medicines:  
    • Advertising towards the general public needs to be notified to the FAMHP, at least 30 days before distribution of the material. *This notification is valid for 2 years.
    • All materials need to be archived for a period of 5 years along with a detailed register
  • Samples:
    • Samples are defined as the smallest authorised or registered packaging, that is commercialized, of a veterinary medicinal product.
    • Solely veterinarians who are holder of a medicine depot can request samples via a signed request form (in duplicate), which mentions:
      • Full name of the requesting veterinarian and registration number on the list of the Order of Veterinarian
      • Address of the depot
      • Full name, strength, pharmaceutical form, and size of the packaging of the veterinary medicine of which a sample is requested
      • Number of samples requested
      • Date and signature of the requesting veterinarian
    • There is no numerical limitation to the number of samples that can be requested, yet these must be traced.
    • Yearly, before the 1st of March, the list of distributed samples must be submitted to the FAMHP.
  • All premiums and benefits towards veterinarians and pharmacists must be kept in a register.

* All currently distributed advertisement materials towards the general public need to be notified to the FAMHP within 3 months after the effective date of this Royal Decree.

The Royal Decree can be found via the following links:

NL: Belgisch Staatsblad (fgov.be)

FR: Moniteur belge (fgov.be)

More detailed information on the notification procedure can be found here:

Notification procedure for advertising of medicinal products for veterinary use to the public | FAMHP

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