Impact of Emotional Support and Medical Adherence on Social Media Branded Drug Promotion

Abstract

Social media promotion of prescription medicines are subject to ethical and legal standards. Contacting patients directly to promote drugs has long been frowned upon and banned in all but two countries: the United States and New Zealand. Technology has made this sensible approach obsolete. Patient’s interest in searching social media for health information is increasing rapidly, including information from drug marketers. This development was praised by many groups. The reason for this is that it offers many rewards. Social media promotion (SMP) offers well-known advantages. The purpose of this study is to assess the association of the positive aspects of SMP (such as emotional support and medical adherence) with SMP. Our results suggest that patients rate SMP very much associated with emotional support and medical adherence, which has important implications for marketers, clinicians, and policy makers who are critical in promoting the development of safe systems to improve health systems. Additionally, future studies should use an advanced communication model adapted to the social media environment to ensure thorough research.