Social Media Posts About Prescription Drugs Often Contain Misleading Info, Study Finds

A new study shows that social media influencers who talk about prescription drugs frequently share information that is not accurate.

The research, published in JAMA Network Open, looked at how influencers affect the way people learn about and think about prescription medications.

The study found that when influencers promote prescription drugs, the information is often misleading. This type of promotion happens under rules that have not been updated to keep up with social media.

“Influencers often share advice about prescription drugs despite having financial incentives or little medical expertise,” said study author Raffael Heiss, PhD, a 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 people may have a hard time telling when a post is actually an advertisement, especially when it is told as a personal story.

“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.”

Drug companies are increasingly working with influencers, including people who are patients themselves. These “patient influencers” share their own experiences, which makes their posts very convincing.

These partnerships can spread wrong information and may lead to people misusing medications or having dangerous drug interactions. The researchers say this is especially concerning when the influencer is a healthcare professional.

“Social media influencers promoting prescription medication are blurring the lines between sound clinical advice and trend following,” said Kanwar Kelley, MD, a board-certified doctor who was not 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.

This type of promotion also raises public health concerns by increasing demand for drugs and possibly encouraging people to use them in ways that are not appropriate.

“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.”

The review looked at data from 12 peer-reviewed articles. These articles covered topics like contraceptive ads, performance-enhancing drugs, and other pharmaceutical promotions. All 12 articles showed the same patterns:

– Rules are not effective, and disclosure practices are not consistent.
– Misinformation comes from influencers who lack expertise, combined with audiences who have low health literacy.
– Personal stories blur the line between real testimony and paid promotion.

The researchers say the evidence is still limited. But they add that the findings show a clear need for updated rules, clear and enforceable disclosure requirements, digital literacy programs, and stronger accountability from social media platforms.

Nissa Keyashian, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist who was not part of the study, said people should ask what clinical training an 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 social media can be a good place to hear about other people’s experiences, but it should not replace 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.”

Kelley added that it is important to remember “anecdotal evidence, while important, is not clinical evidence.” He said social media has moved faster than the rules that are supposed to keep pharmaceutical ads honest. “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.”