From Scrolling to Script: The Growing Influence of Prescription Drug Ads on Social Media
July 2025
New survey data show the promotion of prescription drugs on social media can impact patient-provider discussions on medications and may even alter treatment plans.
Over two-thirds of prescriber respondents (69 percent) reported having patients who asked about a specific prescription drug they saw on social media; of those, over six in 10 (61 percent) subsequently prescribed the requested medication.
With support from Arnold Ventures, NORC at the University of Chicago conducted two surveys of consumers and prescribing medical professionals and found widespread promotion of prescription medications on social media, from pharmaceutical company ads to influencer content. Among consumer respondents, 64 percent reported seeing advertisements for prescription medications on social media in the last year, and 45 percent encountered prescription drug content posted by social media content creators.
“The explosion of prescription drug content on social media has been a double-edged sword,” says Dianne Munevar, vice president of Health Care Programs at NORC. “On one hand, it empowers individuals with information and can help those with similar conditions find community; on the other, the lack of regulatory oversight means key clinical and financial disclosures are often missing, depriving consumers of the information they need to make good decisions.”
Social media has become a blind spot for regulatory oversight of prescription drug marketing.
In the United States, current regulations on direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs require that paid advertisements present the risks, benefits, and key prescribing information of the medications in language that is clear and understandable to the public. But current Food & Drug Administration regulations were designed for traditional media and do not explicitly cover social media platforms (like Instagram and TikTok), compound drugs, or influencers not directly affiliated with a drug manufacturer.
As a result, prescription drug content on social media often falls outside current oversight, highlighting the need to both close regulatory gaps and modernize the standards themselves. When asked about the content of social media posts on prescription drugs, less than a third of U.S. adults (29 percent) recalled seeing disclosures about serious side effects, and even fewer (23 percent) saw guidance on how to use the medication safely, such as dosage instructions.
Providers worry that drug marketing on social media may lead to patient disappointment—and put pressure on prescribers.
Prescribers report social media posts are catalyzing real-world patient-provider discussions on prescription medications and may even impact treatment plans. According to survey results, nearly seven in 10 prescribers (69 percent) had been approached by patients about a medication they saw on social media, with 61 percent ultimately prescribing it, though the role of the social media-prompted conversation in those decisions remains unclear.
Many prescribers share growing concerns about how prescription drug advertisements on social media are reshaping patient expectations and impacting provider-patient relationships. A majority worry about losing the trust of their patients should they choose to decline a prescription request (68 percent), and over three-quarters of provider survey respondents are concerned about the potential for inappropriate prescribing when requests are fulfilled (77 percent).
Most U.S. adults believe it is important for the government to regulate how prescription drugs are promoted on social media.
“Social media has given pharmaceutical advertising unprecedented reach, but it also exposes especially at-risk groups—like young people and older adults with chronic conditions—to misleading or incomplete information,” says Sneha Dave, founder and executive director of Generation Patient, who provided subject matter expertise for this research. “Without stronger oversight and clear sponsorship disclosures, these targeted tactics can undermine informed health decisions in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”
One in four U.S. consumers say they turn to social media as a go-to source for health information and advice, elevating the importance of transparency in prescription drug content. Sixty-six percent of consumers surveyed believe that it is very or extremely important for pharmaceutical sponsorships to be disclosed, while 63 percent express the same opinion regarding potential risks and side effects. As prescription drug content on social media grows in prevalence, over half (57 percent) believe it is extremely or very important to have the government regulate how prescription drugs are promoted on social media.
Methodology
The two surveys funded by Arnold Ventures were conducted between February and April 2025. The survey of prescribing medical professionals was conducted between February 7 and February 28. It included 1,004 interviews from a non-probability opt-in panel. The consumer survey was conducted between April 2 and April 10. It included 2,330 interviews with a nationally representative sample (margin of error +/- 2.62 percentage points). The consumer panel is part of AmeriSpeak®, NORC’s probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. household population. A comprehensive listing of all study questions and tabulations of top-level results for each question is available below.
About the NORC Spotlight on Health
NORC at the University of Chicago’s Spotlight on Health is a series of quick-hitting national surveys and analyses on issues vital to health and well-being, conducted using AmeriSpeak’s probability-based panels.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
Contact: For more information, please contact Anna-Leigh Ong at NORC at ong-anna-leigh@norc.org or (917) 242-2172 (cell).
