Health Canada Issues Guidelines on Covid-19 Regulated Substances

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IAB Canada has been alerted to new guidelines that Health Canada has implemented regarding regulated substances that are directly related to the Covid-19 pandemic. This new directive is already causing issues for our members as it directly impacts the advertising of products such as hand sanitizers, an item that has substantial investment behind it as new brands have quickly come in to play. We therefore urge you to become familiar with the new regulations and to take steps towards avoiding inadvertent noncompliance.

Here are some initial steps to ensure you are complying with Health Canada guidelines during the Covid-19 crisis (until further guidance is published):

  • Filter for keywords relating to products that are currently classified as “regulated” during the crisis like hand sanitizer(s) including common brand names and other terms like hand cleaners etc. so that you can pause or review any ads that might be impacted – you may decide to block these ads from appearing programmatically
  •  If you are accepting disinfectant products during this time, work with clients to ensure their product and its claims have been authorized by Health Canada by searching the List of Hand Sanitizers Authorized by Health Canada. Authorized hand sanitizers have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN) or Natural Product Number (NPN).
  • Some hand sanitizers that may not fully meet Health Canada requirements and may not have a DIN or NPN on the label are being permitted for sale as an interim measure given the shortage of supply of hand sanitizers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check for these products by searching the List of Products Accepted under Interim Measure.
  • You may implement white listing or perform manual acceptance on these products for the time being.

More information about buying health products safely is available on Health Canada’s website. Health Canada will be posting the list of technical-grade ethanol producers who supply manufacturers of hand sanitizers, along with contact information should you want to get specific information about their product.

If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact us at policy@iabcanada.com