Vulnerabilities to misinformation in online pharmaceutical marketing
Open accessAbstract
Given the large percentage of Internet users who search for health information online, pharmaceutical companies have invested significantly in online marketing of their products. Although online pharmaceutical marketing can potentially benefit both physicians and patients, it can also harm these groups by misleading them. Indeed, some pharmaceutical companies have been guilty of undue influence, which has threatened public health and trust. We conducted a review of the available literature on online pharmaceutical marketing, undue influence and the psychology of decision-making, in order to identify factors that contribute to Internet users’ vulnerability to online pharmaceutical misinformation. We find five converging factors: Internet dependence, excessive trust in the veracity of online information, unawareness of pharmaceutical company influence, social isolation and detail fixation. As the Internet continues to change, it is important that regulators keep in mind not only misinformation that surrounds new web technologies and their contents, but also the factors that make Internet users vulnerable to misinformation in the first place. Psychological components are a critical, although often neglected, risk factor for Internet users becoming misinformed upon exposure to online pharmaceutical marketing. Awareness of these psychological factors may help Internet users attentively and safely navigate an evolving web terrain.
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Social isolation may lead to reduced interaction and increased use of online sources of advice, potentially leading to sub-optimal adherence to treatments.
“one suggested that social isolation may lead to reduced interaction and increased use of online sources of advice, potentially leading to sub-optimal adherence to treatments 37”
From An overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness (2017) · cites this paper as [37]
The overview found an association (+) between social isolation and adherence to treatment, supported by one review or multiple lower quality reviews.
“| Adherence to treatment (De Freitas et al 2013, Denhaerynck et al 2009) | + | | |”
From An overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness (2017) · cites this paper as De Freitas et al 2013
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- Authors
- De Freitas, J., Falls, B. A., Haque, O. S., & Bursztajn, H. J.
- Affiliations
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Harvard University (US)
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Bursztajn, Harold J
- ORCID
- Haque, Omar S
- Venue
- Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-05
- Volume
- 106
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 184-189
- ISSN
- 0141-0768 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-1095
- PMC
- PMC3676224
- OpenAlex
- W2315308785
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 4.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Misinformation and Its Impacts
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Pharmaceutical industry and healthcare
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
- Keywords
- health misinformation, undue influence, pharmaceutical industry, internet addiction, trust in online information, social isolation, psychology of decision making, health information seeking, online regulation
- MeSH terms
- Communication, Drug Industry, Humans, Social Isolation, Internet, Trust, Marketing, Information Seeking Behavior
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