As social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have risen in popularity, so have direct-to-consumer advertisements for drugs like Ozempic, whether it be pop-up advertisements or social media influencers promoting products to their followers. Now, more and more people are asking their doctors to prescribe them drugs they have seen in advertisements, prompting three chief medical residents—Lynne Rosenberg, MD, Samantha Thielen, MD, and Evan Zehr, MD—in the University of Colorado Internal Medicine Residency Program to deliberate: Is this a beneficial or harmful occurrence? The answer, they discovered, is complex and evolving. For some patients, research has found they feel more empowered to have conversations with the medical providers and advocate for what they want.
On the other hand, some physicians have reported negative effects, such as increased pressure to prescribe medication they may not think their patient needs. "Direct-to-consumer advertising differentially impacts all facets of health care—the provider experience, the patient experience , population health , and cost," Thielen said during a recent Medical Grand Rounds presentation. "Despite government efforts to protect consumers, regulations have not yet addressed the expansion of direct-to-consumer advertising beyond classic avenues in the digital age.
" Although the rise of social media brings unprecedented challenges, the chief medical residents emphasized that the digital landscape also serves as a pl.
