Prescription Drug Content On Social Media Often Misleading, Study Finds

• A recent review suggests that social media influencers touting prescription drugs are often spreading misinformation.
• The research shows that audiences have difficulty recognizing promotional intent when the marketing is embedded in personal narratives. 
• The findings highlight a need for updated regulatory guidance and stronger, more standardized disclosure requirements. 

The rise of social media influencers has changed how many people get information about many products and services. 

A recent review published in JAMA Network Open examined how social media influencers affect how users obtain information and approach prescription medications. 

The researchers found that the promotion of prescription medications by social media influencers is often accompanied by misleading information. It was shown that this type of promotion can be connected to outdated regulatory oversight.

“Influencers often share advice about prescription drugs despite having financial incentives or little medical expertise,” said study author Raffael Heiss, PhD, professor at the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI).

“Existing rules and disclosure requirements have not kept pace with social media,” Heiss told Healthline.

The review also found that audiences may have difficulty recognizing promotional intent when it’s embedded in personal narratives. 

“Personal stories can also make promotional content feel trustworthy and authentic, even when it is incomplete or misleading,” Heiss said. “As a result, followers may trust influencers because they emotionally connect with their stories and may not recognize that the content is advertising.”

‘Patient influencers’ and prescription drug misinformation

Prescription drug companies are increasingly partnering with social media influencers, or people who attract a large number of followers and may influence them by sharing content. These influencers are often patients, and may be referred to as “patient influencers.” 

Patient influencers may post personal stories and experiences, which makes them highly persuasive. 

These types of collaborations can spread misleading information and potentially lead to the misuse of medications and harmful interactions.

The researchers note that this is especially problematic when promotions are made by healthcare professionals. 

“Social media influencers promoting prescription medication are blurring the lines between sound clinical advice and trend following,” said Kanwar Kelley, MD, who is triple board certified in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery (ENT), obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine, and co-founder and CEO of Side Health in Orinda, CA. Kelley wasn’t involved in the study.

“In today’s social media, that content is nearly indistinguishable from professional advice and can skirt the skepticism that people apply to traditional prescription marketing,” Kelley told Healthline.

The promotion of prescription drugs by influencers also raises an important public health concern, amplifying the demand for pharmaceuticals with the potential to encourage inappropriate use or prescribing. 

“In some cases, especially when influencers are patients themselves, they can provide valuable support and help people feel less alone,” said Heiss. 

“However, our review suggests that these ‘parasocial’ relationships can also make people less likely to recognize when they are being marketed to and more likely to see the advice as credible. This becomes a problem when promotional content is not clearly disclosed or when personal experience is mistaken for medical evidence,” he continued. 

The review analyzed data from 12 peer-reviewed journal articles. 

These articles addressed topics such as contraceptive advertising, performance-enhancing drugs, and broader pharmaceutical promotion. 

All 12 articles showed the same recurring themes of: 

• ineffective regulatory oversight and inconsistent disclosure practices
• misinformation that stems from influencers’ limited expertise in the context of audiences’ low health literacy
• parasocial narratives that blur the distinctions between personal testimony and paid promotion

The researchers note that the evidence base is small and fragmented. However, they add that the findings highlight an urgent need for updates to regulatory guidance, for enforceable and standardized disclosure requirements, for targeted digital literacy initiatives, and for stronger platform accountability. 

Knowing the facts about prescription drugs

Nissa Keyashian, MD, board certified psychiatrist and author of “Practicing Stillness,” who wasn’t involved in the research, said that she would recommend people consider what, if any, clinical education and training a social media influencer has. 

“Regardless of the influencer’s medical background, people should also strongly consider whether the person has any conflicts of interest related to corporate sponsorship or partnership, and if they are disclosing these conflicts clearly and openly,” she told Healthline.

Heiss said that social media can be a useful place to hear about other people’s experiences. However, it should not be treated as a substitute for medical advice. 

“People should be cautious whenever an influencer promotes a prescription drug, regardless of whether the sponsorship is disclosed,” he said.

“People should be especially careful when influencers only emphasize benefits, downplay risks, or embed drug recommendations in emotional personal stories. Before making decisions based on advice seen online, people should discuss it with a doctor or pharmacist,” Heiss continued.

Kelley added that it is important to remember “anecdotal evidence, while important, is not clinical evidence.” 

“Social media has effectively outpaced the frameworks we use to ensure pharmaceutical advertising is transparent. Disclosure of conflicts of interest and mandatory discussion of risks, benefits, and alternatives are important aspects of oversight that should be addressed,” said Kelley.

“We need to create space for patients to bring in what they’ve seen online and have open, nonjudgmental conversations about it. Ultimately, strengthening dialogue between patients and physicians and refining frameworks for digital advertising are key steps to ensuring patient safety and trust in the evolving media landscape,” he said.