Medicines Advertising Act affects customer portal – How providers win customers with compliance and user focus

Let's imagine: A marketing team at a pharmaceutical company is discussing the launch of a new customer portal for doctors, physiotherapists, pharmacies, but also for patients and their relatives. The vision is clear: a digital meeting place with reliable, helpful information on prescription medicines. But already in one of the first meetings, the crucial question arises: Which compliance issues must be taken into account in the portal in accordance with the German Medicines Advertising Act (HWG)? Where is the line between professional communication and lay information? And how can risky violations be avoided when different target groups access the same platform?

Who actually belongs to HCP, lay people, patients and relatives?

Here, it is worth doing a reality check: according to the HWG, only doctors, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, apothecaries and persons with professional scope for prescribing prescription drugs are considered healthcare professionals (HCPs). Unexpected but crucial: Medical assistants such as doctors' assistants, nursing staff or medical clerks are legally considered laypersons. Patients and their relatives are also considered laypersons and are therefore subject to the strict advertising restrictions of the HWG.

This means that portal operators must be very sensitive in their approach to the target group in order to segment content correctly and deliver it in a way that is appropriate for the target group.

Heilmittelwerbegesetz (HWG): both a guide and a stumbling block

The HWG prohibits advertising and certain promotional content for prescription medicines to laypersons. For providers of customer portals, this means that a clear separation of target groups is mandatory. Content for HCPs must be differentiated and often more comprehensive than that for laypersons and patients. At the same time, the technical complexities of implementing such a separation of roles can become obstacles. Robust identity management (IAM), content gateways and access controls are essential prerequisites for legally compliant and innovative portal solutions.

Stumbling blocks during portal launch: Between compliance and user experience

The development team in our thought experiment faces typical challenges:

• Who is allowed to see what? Medical assistants are technically laypeople, but often need access to certain content. Technical solutions such as granular access rights and authorisation models are essential here.
• Content creates trust: even neutral information can be perceived as advertising depending on its tone or display design. Strict editorial guidelines and legal review help here.
• The right approach: HCPs expect technically sound, complex content, while laypeople and patients expect understandable, low-risk information. A clear content split is crucial for user retention and the success of the portal.

Added value for patients and relatives: These target groups also want guidance and transparent information without being deterred by medical jargon or insufficient content.

Practical tips for portal operators

The compliance jungle calls for pragmatic and innovative solutions. Key tips include:

• Clear identification of users: Rely on robust IAM systems, verify HCPs via chambers or associations to securely control access.
• Implement content gateways: Strictly separate HCP, layperson and patient areas in terms of technology and content. Typical solutions that have already been successfully implemented include HCP modules requiring registration and layered content.
• Strict editorial processes: Binding guidelines for content and language levels prevent hidden violations.
• Monitoring and compliance checks: Extended content and update checks using automated workflows and regular legal audits are essential.
• Innovative user guidance: Enables clear user journeys that pick up users in a context-sensitive manner depending on their role.

What opportunities does AI offer for target group-specific content?

In customer portals for healthcare and pharmaceuticals, the biggest challenge is having to deliver content that is strictly tailored to the target group, which is no easy task with such diverse groups as medical staff, medical assistants, patients and relatives. Artificial intelligence (AI) opens up new possibilities for mastering this challenge efficiently and in a legally compliant manner.

In medical marketing, modern AI technologies have become central tools for the automated filtering, distribution and personalisation of content. Companies use the following systems and tools, for example:

• Generative AI such as ChatGPT, DeepL or Jasper: These solutions support the rapid, target group-specific creation and translation of medical and marketing content. They can flexibly process complex content – for example, from study reports to patient newsletters or from scientific texts to social media posts.
• Visual AI tools such as Canva and Descript: For rapidly changing communication needs and different user groups, these tools automatically generate image- and video-based content – from doctor webinars to illustrative patient information – and ensure a professional visual appearance on the portal.
• Platforms such as HubSpot: Through AI-based segmentation and automation, such platforms control individualised campaigns, assign user roles (such as medical staff, medical assistants, patients) and design customer journeys tailored to the target group. Accompanying GDPR-compliant workflows ensure the necessary data security and legal compliance.
• Specialised AI-based content marketing tools such as SurferSEO and Brandwatch: SurferSEO analyses content directly in the customer portal, evaluates its relevance, structure and keyword coverage, and tailors its display to specific user groups and their search behaviour. Brandwatch continuously monitors the response and perception of portal content in real time, identifies new trends and potential compliance risks, and analyses discussions and sentiments surrounding the portal. Automated tagging and analysis functions ensure that only verified, approved content enters the portal and is securely displayed to the right user groups.

These technologies enable AI to fulfil its role as a ‘digital gatekeeper’ in medical marketing: automated content gateways ensure that each user group receives exactly the information that is legally permissible and relevant in terms of content. This reliably minimises compliance violations and enables campaigns to be precisely controlled on the basis of current data. This targeted use of AI in conjunction with well-designed content gateways reconciles compliance with complex legal requirements with a consistent user experience, making the critical compliance process noticeably easier and more transparent.

The user journey: confidently navigating between worlds

A smart portal strategy does not view the separation between HCPs, laypeople, patients and relatives as an obstacle, but as an opportunity: doctors find a central source of information with in-depth medical content and services, while patients and relatives receive clear, understandable and low-risk guidance. This creates trust instead of confusion, and compliance becomes an added value.

Conclusion: compliance is innovation

The German Medicines Advertising Act is not a hindrance, but an incentive for smart solutions. Customer portals that master complex requirements with a clear role architecture, technical differentiation and sound content management are real game changers in healthcare. They create added value for doctors, patients, relatives and companies alike. They also lay the foundation for a trusting relationship and sustainable success.

With a clear focus on compliance, sophisticated technology and user-centred design, the customer portal is becoming the heart of modern healthcare and pharmaceutical communication – and compliance is becoming a driver of innovation.