Pharmacy is a strong client category in France and a legally narrow one. Part of what a pharmacy sells is under a legal monopoly, medicine advertising is regulated at national level, and since 2023 the influence law explicitly forbids creators from promoting several categories connected to health and appearance. A brand that briefs this category casually creates a problem for itself and for the creator.

What the law changed in 2023

The French influence law made certain promotions by creators an offence rather than a bad practice. In and around this category, that includes cosmetic surgery and aesthetic procedures, certain medical devices, and anything presented as a therapeutic claim without authorisation. Sanctions apply to the creator and to the brand that commissioned the content.

The practical rule for a marketing team: if a product touches health, ask your regulatory contact what may be said before writing the brief, not after receiving the video.

What still works, and works well

Dermocosmetics, hygiene, sun protection, baby care, oral care, supplements within their own rules, and the pharmacy as a place of advice. That is a large market and it is precisely where creator content outperforms studio content.

The formats that convert:

The routine

Three or four products in order, with the reason for each step.

The texture close up

Application, absorption, whether it leaves a cast. This is what the product page cannot show.

The pharmacist question

Not a creator playing a professional, but a creator asking one, with the pharmacy's agreement.

The seasonal brief

Sun before summer, dryness in winter, allergies in spring. Briefs land four to six weeks ahead.

The lines a creator must not cross

No white coat, no implied professional status, no diagnosis of the viewer. No claim that a cosmetic treats, cures or heals. No before and after that promises a medical result. Any claim the brand wants must arrive in writing, in its exact wording, from the brand.

Collaboration must be labelled clearly. In France this is not a platform convention, it is a legal requirement, and the influence law reinforced it.

Practical notes for the brand

Send the approved wording, the list of forbidden words and the mandatory mentions with the brief. Ask for one version with no claim at all, so the video can run in more places. Agree usage rights by scope and duration, since dermocosmetics content is reused in paid media for months. And keep results honest: an exaggerated before and after damages a pharmacy brand far more than a modest one.

Where to go next

Pharmacy rewards brands that treat compliance as part of the creative process. Our complete UGC guide for brands covers briefing, usage rights and running creator content as a repeatable process.