TGA compliance principles and focus areas for 2026 and 2027

The TGA’s compliance principles for 2026 and 2027 name cosmetic procedures, weight loss and medicinal cannabis as focus areas. Here is what that means.

1 January 202610 min read

The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Compliance Principles 2026 and 2027 apply from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. They set out how the TGA will monitor and enforce compliance with the import, export, manufacture, supply and advertising requirements of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, and they replace the Import, Advertising and Supply Compliance Priorities 2023-25. The TGA released them publicly on 22 January 2026.

For practices, the most useful part is the list of priority focus areas. Therapeutic goods used in cosmetic procedures, weight loss medications and medicinal cannabis are all on it, and unapproved peptide products were added on 10 June 2026. If your clinic promotes services in any of these areas, your website and social content are more likely to be looked at, and the principles say the TGA will scrutinise advertising proactively, especially online.

Status update: the principles themselves run to the end of 2027, but the focus areas are reviewed quarterly. The TGA updated the principles page and report on 10 June 2026 to add peptides. Check the TGA’s Compliance Principles page for the current list before relying on this article.

What changed

The TGA reviewed its 2023-2025 Compliance Priorities and said it found opportunities to strengthen how priorities are set and reviewed, including how often priority areas are assessed and how emerging risks are addressed. The result is a two-part framework:

five core compliance principles that apply for the full two years, and
priority focus areas that are reviewed every quarter and updated through intelligence-led and risk-based reviews.

The old 2023-25 priorities page now carries a notice that it has been superseded by the Compliance Principles for 2026 and 2027. The TGA says the principles will be reviewed every two years, with the next review scheduled for late 2027.

The new approach applies across all TGA regulated areas, including medical devices, prescription and non-prescription medicines, complementary and listed medicines, unapproved therapeutic goods and other therapeutic goods. The TGA also said urgent compliance issues will continue to be addressed as they arise.

What the previous priorities covered

For context, the 2023-25 priorities (extended into 2024-25) included deterring unlawful advertising of medicinal cannabis, psilocybin and MDMA, and disrupting the unlawful supply and advertising of unapproved and high-risk goods used in the wellness and beauty industries. That category named sports supplements, weight loss medications, IV drips and cosmetic injectables. In other words, the sectors most relevant to many clinics were already a focus. The new framework continues that attention and adds a faster review cycle.

Who it applies to

The principles describe how the TGA will approach compliance for everyone it regulates. For marketing purposes, they matter most to:

cosmetic clinics, injectors and medispas
weight loss and men’s health clinics, including telehealth services
medicinal cannabis prescribers and clinics
longevity, wellness and anti-ageing clinics that discuss peptides
pharmacies, including compounding pharmacies
businesses advertising sunscreens, listed medicines, melatonin or software as a medical device
agencies, influencers and content creators who produce content for any of the above

What the principles say

The TGA’s printable Compliance Principles report sets out each principle with the activities that support it. In summary:

1. Safeguarding therapeutic goods

Protection from unsafe products, and visibility to the public on action taken, through proactive scrutiny of advertising, especially in digital spaces, and disruption of unapproved and falsified goods, including those sold through e-commerce and social media.

2. Educate to empower

Proactive engagement through guidance and education that is accessible to consumers, health professionals and industry, and countering misinformation and disinformation, particularly online, including through social media and influencer content.

3. Protect those most at risk

Targeted strategies for at-risk populations, and collaboration with community leaders for culturally appropriate content and compliance.

4. Leverage digital capability

Modernising compliance tools, in part to enhance monitoring of online activity, and addressing risks from AI-generated misinformation and deceptive endorsements.

5. Strengthen enforcement

Taking swift, proportionate action and responding to emerging trends, increasing the visibility of compliance actions, and targeting non-compliance through digital channels, including influencers and online marketplaces.

The priority focus areas

The TGA’s January 2026 release listed 12 priority focus areas to 31 March 2026:

direct to consumer in vitro diagnostic (IVD) kits
erectile dysfunction medications
foetal dopplers
listed medicine advertising
medicinal cannabis
melatonin
software as a medical device
substandard and falsified therapeutic goods
sunscreen
weight loss medications
therapeutic goods used in cosmetic procedures
vaping goods

On 10 June 2026 the TGA expanded the focus areas to include unapproved peptide products. It said this followed increased detection of unlawful importation, supply and advertising, and that these products are often marketed for performance enhancement or anti-ageing. The updated report lists 13 areas, with peptides added.

The TGA notes that it manages many individual compliance activities outside these areas and may take action on any non-compliance it detects, whether or not the matter falls within a priority.

What it means for your marketing

The principles do not create new advertising rules. The rules in the Act, the Regulations and the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code are the same. What the principles tell you is where the TGA intends to look and how. Three themes stand out for practices: proactive online monitoring, attention to influencers, and a faster review cycle that can bring new product types into focus within months.

Website

Proactive scrutiny of advertising in digital spaces means your website is the most likely place for an issue to be found. Older pages are as visible as new ones. If you offer services in a focus area, review treatment pages, blog posts, FAQs, booking flows and price pages for direct or indirect references to prescription medicines. The TGA treats indirect references, such as class terms for injectable or weight loss medicines, as references to prescription medicines when read in context.

Google Business Profile and reviews

Profile descriptions, services, products and posts are public advertising. Remove references to prescription medicines and treatment price lists for prescription products. Do not promote reviews that describe prescription treatments.

Social media and influencers

Two of the five principles refer to social media and influencer content, and the enforcement principle names influencers and online marketplaces. If your clinic uses influencers, ambassadors or content creators, put written briefs in place and check what they actually post. The TGA’s health services guidance says responsibility for compliance may extend to both the clinic and the content creator.

Paid ads

Keyword targeting, ad text and landing pages for weight loss, cosmetic, men’s health and cannabis services are obvious places for prescription medicine references to appear. Build campaigns around consultations and conditions rather than products.

Email and SMS

Mass emails and texts to patients or prospects that promote prescription medicines are unlikely to be exempt as practitioner and patient communications. Review your automated sequences and promotional campaigns.

AI-generated content

The principles specifically mention AI-generated misinformation and deceptive endorsements. If you use AI tools to draft content, a person still needs to check it against the rules. Do not publish AI-generated people presented as real patients or practitioners endorsing a product.

What enforcement has looked like

The TGA says it promotes voluntary compliance and, where necessary, takes enforcement action. Its releases describe responses that may include infringement notices, directions and prevention notices, or civil or criminal proceedings. In the cosmetic area, the TGA announced on 18 December 2025 that it had issued two infringement notices totalling $7,716 to a Queensland-based individual for the alleged unlawful importation of counterfeit botulinum toxin type A and the alleged advertising of prescription-only cosmetic injectables to the public on social media. The TGA noted that substances used in cosmetic injections, such as botulinum toxin type A, are generally regulated as Schedule 4 medicines, and that the Act prohibits advertising prescription-only cosmetic injectable treatments to the public.

A related TGA release dated 29 January 2026 reported 11 infringement notices totalling $43,560 issued to 6 individuals for alleged importation and unlawful advertising of therapeutic goods. The TGA describes the conduct in both releases as alleged, and no court has decided these matters.

In its June 2026 peptides announcement, the TGA said regulatory responses may include infringement notices, product seizures, import interventions and, where appropriate, civil or criminal penalties. TGA releases from 2026 quote maximum civil penalties of up to $1.65 million per breach for individuals and $16.5 million per breach for corporations.

Common mistakes we see

Treating the focus areas as the only risk. The TGA says it can act on any non-compliance it finds.
Fixing the homepage but leaving older blog posts, landing pages and social posts in place.
Relying on disclaimers such as “speak to your practitioner” to make prescription medicine references acceptable.
Assuming that influencer content is only the influencer’s responsibility.
Publishing peptide or IV-style wellness offers without checking whether the goods are prescription medicines or unapproved goods.
Setting a compliance review once and not revisiting it when the focus areas change.

A practical checklist

Check whether any service you promote falls within a current priority focus area.
Audit your website, including old posts and landing pages, for direct and indirect references to prescription medicines.
Review your Google Business Profile, social bios, highlights and pinned posts.
Rewrite paid search and social ads around consultations and conditions.
Review email and SMS campaigns and automations.
Put written briefs in place for influencers and content creators, and monitor what is posted.
Have a person review AI-drafted content before it is published.
Diarise a quarterly check of the TGA’s Compliance Principles page for focus area changes.
Keep a record of what you changed and when.

How this fits with other rules

The Compliance Principles are about the TGA’s enforcement approach. They sit alongside the TGA’s Regulatory Compliance Framework, which describes how it encourages compliance and responds to alleged contraventions.

Ahpra and the National Boards regulate advertising of regulated health services by registered practitioners under the National Law, including the prohibition on testimonials. The ACCC administers the Australian Consumer Law, which applies to misleading or deceptive advertising generally. The TGA’s 2023-25 priorities noted it collaborates with Ahpra and other agencies on advertising of medicines and medical services, so one piece of content may raise issues under more than one framework.

Frequently asked questions

Do the principles change what we are allowed to advertise?

No. They describe where and how the TGA will focus its compliance work. The advertising rules come from the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, the Regulations and the Advertising Code.

How long do the principles apply?

From 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. The TGA says the next review of the principles is scheduled for late 2027.

How often do the focus areas change?

The TGA says priority focus areas are reviewed every quarter and updated as required. Peptides were added on 10 June 2026.

We are not in a focus area. Are we safe?

Not necessarily. The TGA states it may take compliance action on any non-compliance detected, whether or not the matter falls within a compliance priority.

Why are influencers mentioned so often?

The principles refer to countering misinformation in influencer content and to targeting non-compliance through digital channels, including influencers. The TGA’s health services guidance also says responsibility may extend to both the clinic and the content creator.

Need a hand?

If your clinic works in cosmetic, weight loss, men’s health, cannabis or peptide-related services, a structured review of your online content is a sensible first step. Our TGA advertising compliance service covers websites, profiles and campaigns, and our compliance training helps your team and content creators understand where the lines are.

This article is general guidance based on the published rules, not legal advice. Final responsibility for advertising sits with the registered practitioner, and complex situations may need independent legal advice.