What Is the ARTG? Understanding Australia’s Register of Therapeutic Goods

Introduction

The Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, commonly called the ARTG, is the national register of therapeutic goods that are legally included in Australia’s therapeutic-goods regulatory framework (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

The ARTG includes different categories of therapeutic goods, including medicines and medical devices, subject to the applicable regulatory requirements (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

Understanding the ARTG can help consumers distinguish between regulatory inclusion and claims made about products online.

What does ARTG inclusion mean?

ARTG inclusion indicates that a therapeutic good has been included in the Australian regulatory system under the relevant legislative framework (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

Different types of therapeutic goods are subject to different regulatory pathways and requirements (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

For medicines, regulatory requirements can include consideration of quality, safety and efficacy depending on the relevant regulatory pathway (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

Does an ARTG number prove that every claim about a product is true?

No.

The regulatory status of a product does not mean that every statement made about it online is automatically supported by evidence (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

Claims about therapeutic benefits must still comply with applicable advertising requirements (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026b).

Scientific evidence also needs to be assessed independently according to study design and quality (Page et al., 2021).

What about products that are not on the ARTG?

The absence of a product from the ARTG does not by itself answer every legal question about that product (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

Different regulatory exemptions, pathways and circumstances can apply to therapeutic goods in Australia (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

Consumers should therefore avoid assuming that “not on the ARTG” automatically means either “illegal” or “safe”.

The regulatory circumstances surrounding a product need to be considered in context.

ARTG status and advertising are different questions

A product’s regulatory status and whether it may lawfully be advertised to the public are separate considerations (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a; Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026b).

For example, prescription medicines are subject to restrictions on public advertising even where they are included in the ARTG (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026b).

The TGA states that prescription medicines cannot generally be advertised to the public except in limited circumstances (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026b).

Key takeaway

The ARTG is an important starting point when researching the regulatory status of a therapeutic good in Australia (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a).

However, ARTG status should not be confused with clinical suitability, individual prescribing decisions, or permission to make unrestricted advertising claims (Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026a; Therapeutic Goods Administration, 2026b).

References

• Page, M.J. et al. (2021) ‘The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews’, BMJ, 372, n71. Read at bmj.com
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (2026a) Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (2026b) Complying with the restrictions on advertising prescription medicines to the public. Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

Related reading

• What Is a Schedule 4 Medicine in Australia?
• Approved vs Unapproved Therapeutic Goods: What Is the Difference?
• What Is a Compounded Medicine? Understanding Pharmaceutical Compounding in Australia