Medical Ad Compliance Review: A Complete Process Guide

Why Medical Ad Review Matters

Under Korea's Medical Service Act Article 57, certain medical advertisements require pre-publication compliance review. Publishing non-reviewed ads can result in fines or practice suspension.

Many clinic owners assume "We only do blogs, so we don't need review." But since the 2024 revision, online medical advertising has broader review requirements.

What Requires Review

Not all medical ads need review. Review is required for:

• TV, radio, print, and magazine ads
• Bus, subway, and outdoor advertising
• Online banner and search ads (including keyword ads)
• Printed materials (flyers, brochures)
• SNS posts containing before/after photos (in some cases)

Simple practice hour announcements and location information are exempt.

The 5-Step Review Process

Step 1: Ad Manuscript Preparation

Prepare the final ad copy including images, text, and layout. Pre-screening for non-compliant language at this stage is critical.

Step 2: Institution Verification

Applications must be filed under the medical institution's name. Prepare registration certificates and specialist qualification documents.

Step 3: Filing

Submit online to the relevant association — Korean Medical Association (physicians), Korean Dental Association (dentists), or Korean Oriental Medical Association (oriental medicine).

Step 4: Review

Results typically arrive within 7–10 business days. Supplementary requests may extend the timeline.

Step 5: Decision

• Approved: Compliance number issued → ad can be published
• Rejected: Rejection reasons provided → revise and resubmit
• Revision requested: Partial corrections needed

Common Rejection Reasons

1. Exaggerated claims — "best," "first," "only" without evidence
2. Guaranteed results — "100% satisfaction," "guaranteed outcome"
3. Comparative advertising — "better than other clinics"
4. Misleading photos — heavily edited before/after images
5. Missing risk disclosure — omitting side effect information

Our End-to-End Review Service

MEDISEE NET handles the entire compliance review process — from manuscript preparation to filing, rejection response, and final media placement.

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Need help navigating medical ad compliance? We handle everything from filing to media placement.