As trust in the pharmaceutical companies wanes in the U.S., the firms are turning towards ‘patient influencers’ to use trusted figures in online communities to help hawk drugs to patients, experts warn. A team at the University of Colorado, Boulder, warns in a report published last week that pharmaceutical companies are using internet micro-celebrities to help push drugs to consumers. While Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) drug advertisements are heavily regulated, by using these so-called ‘patient influencers’, the companies can avoid some of the standard disclosures required by law to sell prescription drugs. Experts warn that these ‘patient influencers’ are not major celebrities, but instead smaller figures that may have built a more personal connection with their following. Kim Kardashian was the first influencer to take part in DTC marketing for pharma companies when she posted an Instagram ad for an anti-nausea drug in 2015 Researchers find that Americans use online forums and social media sites when making health care decisions because access and time with doctors can be limited Advertising DTC is a rare practice across the world, but something an average American is strongly familiar with.
Mansur Shaheen U.S., Daily Mail, 04/12/2022 17:41:00