Patient influencers: What are they and what to look out for

In a new study recently done by the University of Colorado Boulder it was found that “patient influencers” are becoming more common through the use of social media, and that it is affecting how people view and understand prescription medications. Patient influencers are people who share and discuss their experiences with different medications, although they do have mainly good intentions, this type of content can also be viewed as drug endorsement or advertising.

Specifically, the drug Ozempic, which has been in the media quite a bit recently, is now being talked about and viewed as a weight loss drug, or the new hack to losing that stubborn excess weight, when it is technically a drug for patients with diabetes. 

Also, when so much hype is created over a certain drug, it can become overprescribed, sort of “off-the-record”, causing the medication supply for people who actually need it to dwindle, which is exactly what has happened with Ozempic. This goes to show that while the media is a great way of spreading news and information, it can also cause unforeseen issues, and can even take a highly important issue and turn it into a sort of “joke”  online, undermining the actual importance of the problem. This has happened with Ozempic, social media has turned it into a sort of meme and an unserious matter.

Even with positive intentions, an issue with patient influencing is that it isn’t the beginning of marketing drugs directly to consumers versus going through the normal medical channels, that kind of advertising has been around for a long time and is called direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. And, a majority of people that see these ads, upon asking their doctor to be prescribed it, usually are. 

66% of Americans, according to a study done by Georgetown University, are prescribed some form of medication. 

So, the issue with patient influencers lies more in the system, and most influencers state that they only started talking about prescription drugs online as a way to advocate for others and provide the information that they wanted and didn’t get when they were researching medications and trying to find answers. 

Influencing aside, it is always very important to talk about the side effects of any medication and you should always consult with your doctor. Some influencers do a great job of stating this information, while others do not, so remember that while it might be an honest review coming from a good place, it could also be a paid promotion from a drug company, or a review missing important information. It’s always a good idea to do your own research, to be aware of social media and where you’re getting your information from.