Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for communication. A large number of professional pharmaceutical associations are making their presence felt across social media by utilizing infographics. The trend is towards just-in-time information—reaches to stakeholders only when needed—and this reduces information load that describes the modern healthcare system. It includes facts and figures such as fan-following of Twitter and Facebook and increase in video content. Its high utility during the pandemic has been explored including its misuse to create panic. Recently the interest of a large number of professional associations in social media to come up with succinct and credible information is yet another emerging trend. This chapter tries to identify the healthcare information available on social media sites, which has been found to be beneficial in many ways for the stakeholders. It has its own limitations which need to be explored and understood and addressed appropriately.
TopThe profile of the patient has undergone a massive change in recent years. They are confident, committed, curious, and do not hesitate to ask questions about their health status. To empower the patients, Direct-to-consumer promotion (DTCP) has played a substantial role. DTCP refers to the promotion of pharmaceutical products directly to the patient (Gu et al., 2011). According to a study, 59% of patients prefer to search for information at Social Media or Web as their primary source (Page, 2018). Study shows that some of the social media platforms are used more often than others. According to the study the level of digital engagement assessed was not at all associated with the firm size. Most of the firms direct their communication towards the general public (Costa et al, 2018).
Experts have shown their concern about marketing medicines especially pharmaceutical drugs directly to consumers on social media. This is an interactive form of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) and, because nobody keep an eye on this media, the advantages might be exagerrate than the disadvantages (Tyrawski and DeAndrea, 2015).A number of patients who are looking for information, and reading others experience about their own or that of their loved one's health issues through social media is rapidly growing. Pfizer has the most active social media pages on Facebook, and Twitter (Liang and Mackey, 2011). Social media sites like blogs of GlaxoSmithKline’s and Facebook page of AstraZeneca’s indicates for they are “intended for US residents/customers only,” but there are no restrictions to non-US users. Novartis has built a social media platform called CML Earth (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia) for patients suffering from leukemia (around the world). This site allows a patient to connect with other patients, doctors, and online communities. According to experts during pandemics like the COVID-19 contamination, SMP of pharmaceutical drugs has increased exceptionally (Chiplunkar et al., 2020).
Figure 1. Avg. fan and follower growth of pharmaceutical Facebook pages and Twitter handles
On Facebook, pharmaceutical companies saw growth from both corporate pages and Career pages in Chart 1. (Unmetric, 2016).
Figure 2. Video content is on the rise
Chart 2 shows that videos now account for 16% of all content published by pharmaceutical companies on Facebook. This transition mirrors what is happening in other industries across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As brands compete for attention, videos provide the means to capture it. (Unmetric, 2016).
Figure 3. More content is being promoted on Facebook
The percentage of Facebook posts being promoted by pharmaceutical companies increased from 10% to 14% from Q1 to Q4 in 2016 can be seen in Chart 3. This, in addition to the rise in the number of videos being published, has helped the pharmaceutical industry generate higher engagement from fewer posts. (Unmetric, 2016).
Now, Indian patients are also using social media for acquiring information on medicines including prescription drugs. The e-patient concept is forcing doctors and pharma industry to modify their strategy about how to build a relationship with patients. With the help of these, apart from seeking and sharing information, patients also verify the cost of the medication (Mukherjee and Jha, 2017).