Pharmacists talk! Patient’s medicinal request based on social media – 57% of Pharmacists claim to have been asked about a medicine a patient saw on social media from when Pharmacists talk.
In a survey conducted by the Pharmaceutical Journal, of the 1600 responses received, 910 pharmacists stated that a patient had questioned them about products or medicines seen on social media. The top-ranking categories were, weight loss, cannabis based medicinal products, covid-19 related medicines/vaccines and herbal/food supplements.
The positive takeaway patients are seeking healthcare advice before procuring medicines for ailments diagnosed from social media. The negative takeaway many of the medicines under question are prescription only medicines or unlicensed medicines both of which have strong advertising controls.
What are the rules and regulations?
Chapter 11 of the BCAP code specifically covers medicines, medical devices, treatments and health with a separate chapter focusing on weight control and slimming products (Chapter 12).
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The blue guide produced by the MHRA
If you are advertising your products on a media platform of any kind ensure you do not fall foul of the rules, they will request you to remove your advert. The result you are left with advertising that you are unable to use and you the investment used to create the advert is wasted. Do you advertise on social media? Do you need help to ensure you are compliant with the rules and regulations? Contact PCL now.
