Can I say it?

Can I say “stop taking your medication” in a supplement ad?

Usually no. 9 rules fired across 3 sample sentences, and the checker's own text explains why.

The short answer

Usually no. The checker blocks the bare phrase in this setting. The first rule it hits is CG-RPL-004. Its reason: Telling people to stop medication or skip surgery, chemotherapy or a doctor is a safety risk, and implying doctors hide the truth is a deceptive framing.

Source the rule cites: FTC Act section 5; FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance

Checked as an ad promoting a supplement or wellness product. Context changes the result. The same samples hit these blocking rules: 6 in a drug or device ad, 6 in a supplement ad, 4 in a clinical service ad.

A clear result is not an all-clear. The checker flags wording for review and does not know your evidence, your state or your platform's review. Read the limitations.

Sample wording, run through the checker

These are sentences written to contain the phrase, not real claims. Each ran through the real engine and the shipped rule-set when this site was built.

Sample 1 · actual checker output4 rules fired

Stop taking your insulin.

BlockingCG-RPL-004Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your insulin”
BlockingCG-RPL-007Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your insulin”
BlockingCG-TRG-001Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your insulin”
WarningCG-TRK-001Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your insulin”

Sample 2 · actual checker output5 rules fired

Replace your medication with our supplement.

BlockingCG-RPL-003Replaces care. Matched: “Replace your medication”
BlockingCG-RPL-007Replaces care. Matched: “Replace your medication”
BlockingCG-TRG-001Replaces care. Matched: “Replace your medication”
WarningCG-PLT-026Platform policy. Matched: “Replace your medication”
WarningCG-TRK-012Replaces care. Matched: “Replace your medication”

Sample 3 · actual checker output6 rules fired

Stop taking your medication, our herbs work better.

BlockingCG-TRC-004Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your medication”
BlockingCG-RPL-001Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your medication”
BlockingCG-RPL-004Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your medication”
BlockingCG-RPL-007Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your medication”
BlockingCG-TRG-001Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your medication”
WarningCG-TRK-001Replaces care. Matched: “Stop taking your medication”

What to say instead

This version came back with no rule fired:

Never stop a prescribed medicine without talking to your doctor. Our supplement is not a replacement for medical care.

Actual checker output: no rule fired. It still has to be true for your business.

What the rules themselves suggest:

CG-TRC-004 Do not tell readers to stop or reduce medicines. Say supplements are not a substitute for prescribed treatment and to ask their prescriber.
CG-RPL-001 Position the service as a complement to care from their clinician, and tell people to speak to their clinician before changing treatment.
CG-RPL-003 Say the product is not a substitute for medical treatment and that people should talk to their clinician before changing any medicine.

The rules behind this answer

Reason, source and citation for each rule that fired, in the checker's own words. Blocking rules come first.

CG-TRC-004 · Blocks approval · Citation checked against stored text
Encouraging people to stop prescription drugs or to treat a supplement as a drug substitute invites dangerous withdrawal, relapse and untreated disease.
Source: FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance; FDCA section 403(r)(6) and 21 CFR 101.93 (supplements may not claim to treat disease); FTC Act section 5
Safer wording: Do not tell readers to stop or reduce medicines. Say supplements are not a substitute for prescribed treatment and to ask their prescriber.
21 CFR 101.93 · Needs counsel review
CG-RPL-001 · Blocks approval
Telling people to replace or skip medical care is a safety risk and a deceptive claim.
Source: FTC Act section 5; FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance; state medical practice acts
Safer wording: Position the service as a complement to care from their clinician, and tell people to speak to their clinician before changing treatment.
See source text · Needs counsel review
CG-RPL-003 · Blocks approval
Presenting a product as a replacement for, or safer than, a medicine suggests people can stop treating a condition their clinician manages. That is a safety risk and an unsupported comparative claim.
Source: FTC Act section 5; FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance; Lanham Act 43(a)
Safer wording: Say the product is not a substitute for medical treatment and that people should talk to their clinician before changing any medicine.
See source text · Needs counsel review
CG-RPL-004 · Blocks approval
Telling people to stop medication or skip surgery, chemotherapy or a doctor is a safety risk, and implying doctors hide the truth is a deceptive framing.
Source: FTC Act section 5; FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance
Safer wording: Say the product or service is not a substitute for care from their clinician, and that they should talk to their clinician before changing any treatment.
See source text · Needs counsel review
CG-RPL-007 · Blocks approval
Telling people to stop, skip or replace prescribed medication, screening or emergency care is dangerous and is a claim that a product works in place of medical care.
Source: FTC Act section 5; FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance; FDCA 201(g)
Safer wording: Say nothing about stopping or replacing medication or screening. Tell people to talk to their clinician before changing treatment.
See source text · Needs counsel review
CG-TRG-001 · Blocks approval
Telling people to quit, cut, replace or skip prescribed medication, clinicians or vaccines, or that no care is required, is a claim that a product works in place of medical care and is dangerous.
Source: FTC Act section 5; FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance; FDCA 201(g)
Safer wording: Remove any language about stopping, reducing or replacing medication, clinicians or vaccines. Tell people to talk to their prescriber before changing treatment.
See source text · Needs counsel review

3 more rules fired on the samples. Open the checker to see all of them on your own copy.

Background: Disease claim in the glossary.

Questions

Which rule covers wording about dropping prescribed medicines?

Rule CG-RPL-004. The rule's reason: Telling people to stop medication or skip surgery, chemotherapy or a doctor is a safety risk, and implying doctors hide the truth is a deceptive framing.

What should I write instead?

The rule's own suggestion for rule CG-RPL-004: Say the product or service is not a substitute for care from their clinician, and that they should talk to their clinician before changing any treatment.

Does the answer change for a drug, a supplement or a service?

Context changes the result. The same samples hit these blocking rules: 6 in a drug or device ad, 6 in a supplement ad, 4 in a clinical service ad. Pick the type that matches what you promote when you run the checker.

Next step

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