How to promote medicines in Kazakhstan when direct advertising is restricted
Translated from Russian.
In short
Pharma in Kazakhstan works under the Code “On Public Health”, the Law “On Advertising” and Ministry of Health rules. Dietary supplements are the easiest, over-the-counter drugs (OTC) can be marketed to consumers, and prescription drugs (Rx) can only be shown to doctors and pharmacists. That's why pharma needs content: media, newsletters, expert materials and projects at the intersection with sport and lifestyle. Every piece goes through medical review and approval, sometimes by the regulator.
Which laws pharma follows
Restrictions in pharma are first and foremost the regulator's requirements. These are the documents brands and agencies rely on:
- The Code “On Public Health and the Healthcare System” (2020). Article 56 prohibits advertising prescription drugs in the mass media.
- The Law “On Advertising” (2003). General requirements for all advertising, including labeling influencer ads online (since March 1, 2024).
- Rules for advertising medicines and medical devices (Ministry of Health Order No. ҚР ДСМ-288/2020). Advertising must be approved: materials are reviewed by the Ministry of Health's expert organization, and the review takes 10 working days.
- Rules for advertising dietary supplements (Order No. ҚР ДСМ-160/2020).
- Rules for the ethical promotion of medicines (Order No. ҚР ДСМ-294/2020). They govern communication with medical and pharmaceutical professionals.
This is an overview from practice, not legal advice. Before launching a project, check the wording with a lawyer and the current versions of the documents.
Supplements, OTC and Rx: three different regimes
| Category | Who you can talk to | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary supplements | Consumers | Much easier: their own rules, but fewer restrictions |
| OTC — over-the-counter drugs | Consumers, pharmacists and doctors | Manageable: allowed, but with approval and by the rules |
| Rx — prescription drugs | Only HCPs: doctors and pharmacists | Very hard: such materials can't be shown to consumers |
For Rx we create projects only for the HCP side: closed newsletters, expert content, materials for professional events.
Why pharma needs content
I always say that regulated and complex categories need content most. Pharma is bingo: the category is both regulated and complex. You can't say much through direct advertising, and people have a lot of questions. Content addresses both constraints: it explains and helps without breaking the rules.
Three audiences and how to talk to each
Patients. They need simple language and answers to real questions: what's wrong with me, when should I see a doctor, what can I do at home. In Pain Navigator, for example, we explain how to describe your pain to a doctor and how to rate it on a scale.
Pharmacists. They recommend products at the counter, so they need short, useful materials that are easy to use at work. The Ramadan newsletter helped pharmacists talk to customers about health during the fast.
Doctors. They need an expert level: mechanisms of action, research, clinical breakdowns. For doctors we create expert columns and closed newsletters.
Formats that work
- Media. A dedicated project built around the problem, not the product.
- Newsletters. Especially for pharmacists and doctors: on WhatsApp, by email, with closed access.
- Expert content. Articles and columns by doctor-authors.
- Sport and lifestyle. A way to talk about health with people who don't yet see themselves as patients.
How content gets reviewed
TELLER has a full medical editorial team: editors, writers, producers, medical advisors and proofreaders. A piece goes through these steps:
- Inside the agency, the material is checked against research and fact-checked.
- Then the client's medical advisor approves it.
- If needed, the pharma company sends it to the regulator for approval.
- Only after all these steps is it published.
A producer puts the project together, organizing the whole team needed to deliver it. An editor oversees the writers. We work with different doctor-authors depending on the condition and specialty. A copywriter or a urologist won't write content for a cardiology portfolio.
Case studies
Life on Ultra (Bayer). A sports media for non-athletes with a joint-health product built in natively. In the first two months, pharmacy sales rose by 90%. What drove sales most:
- the synergy of content and performance promotion;
- a strong occasion: the Almaty Marathon;
- an offline activation with the “running knees” that was covered by city media;
- a lot of varied content and collaborations with marathon runners, Olympic champions and bloggers.
It's a very complex project, and it works precisely because all its parts work together.
→ · Case on the TELLER website
Ramadan newsletter. 10 WhatsApp messages for pharmacists and general practitioners in Kyrgyzstan, styled as holiday greeting cards. Our medical editorial team wrote the answers to questions about health during the fast. Brand sales rose by 200% compared with the previous Ramadan, even though they usually fell during that month.
→ · Case on the TELLER website
Pain Navigator. Kazakhstan's first media about pain, with two lines: for patients and for doctors. One editorial policy and one visual style, but the project speaks to each audience in its own language.
→ · Case on the TELLER website
What holds pharma brands back
I wouldn't call these mistakes. Often brands simply don't know what's possible. Pharma is a conservative industry, and not everyone is ready to experiment, even when the law allows it. Brand safety plays a role, and so does plain fear.
But the market is changing fast. Leads aren't getting cheaper, and pharma needs to become more flexible too. Those who start earlier will take the expert's place in their category.
What about Russia?
The laws in Kazakhstan and Russia are very similar, with minor differences. Almost everything we did for pharma in Russia can be done here too.
Key points
- Pharma follows the Code “On Public Health”, the Law “On Advertising” and Ministry of Health rules.
- Supplements are the easiest, OTC is possible with approval, Rx is for doctors and pharmacists only.
- Regulated and complex categories need content most, and pharma is exactly that.
- Patients, pharmacists and doctors have different questions, so they need different content.
- Every piece goes through medical review, client approval and, if needed, the regulator.
Want to launch a content project for a pharma brand? Message me on Telegram at @maximfetisov: I'll tell you what's possible in your category. The format and price of a consultation are on the Services page.
Sources
- Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System” (Adilet, in Russian)
- GRATA International: advertising and promotion of medicines and dietary supplements in Kazakhstan
- AdIndex: advertising of medicines and medical devices — what changed in Kazakhstan (in Russian)
