Prescription Drug Promotion on Social Media
Problem
Social media has become a largely unregulated channel for prescription drug promotion, creating a blind spot for regulatory oversight.
The United States is one of only two countries that permit direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs. While federal rules exist for television and radio, those rules have not kept pace with the explosion of growth and evolution of social media, where a wide range of content creators—from pharmaceutical companies to influencers with no medical training—promote medications. This largely unregulated environment often results in the spread of unbalanced or incomplete information, such as claims about a drug’s benefits that don’t mention its risks or discussions of unapproved, “off-label” uses.
This landscape poses risks to the public, particularly for vulnerable groups who may be targeted by sophisticated online marketing campaigns. Without updated oversight, consumers are left to navigate a digital space where the lines between authentic personal experience and covert advertising are blurred, potentially impacting patient safety and informed decision-making.
Solution
NORC used a mixed-methods research approach to assess the landscape and impact of this new marketing frontier.
With support from Arnold Ventures, NORC designed a comprehensive, multi-phase study to analyze the trends, content, and perceptions of prescription drug promotion on social media. The project began with a literature review to synthesize existing research on social media advertising trends and regulatory activity.
Next, NORC’s Social Data Collaboratory conducted a large-scale content analysis of posts from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This phase examined the volume of messages, key themes, and sources of content for three prominent drug classes: GLP-1 agonists, ADHD stimulants, and autoimmune biologics.
To understand the real-world impact of this content, NORC fielded two national surveys. The first survey captured the experiences of 1,004 prescribing medical professionals, and the second surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,330 consumers via the AmeriSpeak® Panel. The consumer survey also included an embedded experiment to test how different disclosure approaches on influencer posts affect perceptions. The project culminated in the development and dissemination of findings through reports and policy recommendations.
Result
The research revealed widespread promotion that often lacks risk information and directly impacts patient-provider conversations.
The study found that prescription drug promotion is pervasive online and is shaping patient behavior. Nearly seven in 10 prescribers (69 percent) reported that patients had asked about a specific drug seen on social media, and 61 percent of those prescribers ultimately wrote a prescription for the requested medication. The content analysis revealed that most promotional posts (≥69 percent) are generated by non-commercial creators like patients and influencers rather than drug companies themselves. This content frequently creates an information imbalance; while 64-76 percent of posts made efficacy claims, only 14-38 percent of those same posts included any information on risks or side effects.
Consumers expressed a strong desire for more transparency and government oversight. Sixty-six percent of consumers felt it was important for financial sponsorships to be disclosed, and 57 percent believed the government should regulate how these drugs are promoted online. Based on these findings, NORC developed a policy brief outlining six recommendations to modernize federal oversight and published its research in a peer-reviewed journal and other public-facing materials to inform regulators, policymakers, and the public.
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Project Leads
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Sherry Emery
DirectorSocial Media Research Oversight -
Alex Kresovich
Research ScientistSocial Media Research Lead
