Almost all (92 percent) of Americans would listen to health advice from their pharmacist on social media, according to survey findings published by PrescribeWellness, a cloud-based company that connects consumers to pharmacies.
The 2017 Pharmacy Social Media Survey collected responses from more than 1,000 U.S. adults to determine where consumers stand on interacting with their pharmacy online, how Americans choose their pharmacy and what pharmacy services they most value.
Here are six findings from the survey.
1. Ninety-two percent of survey respondents would listen to health advice from a pharmacist online, while 54 percent would be more inclined to purchase a product that was recommended by their pharmacist on social media.
2. Seventy-eight percent would consider following their pharmacist on various social media platforms — with 47 percent preferring Facebook.
3. Consumers said the top benefits of following their pharmacist on social media were: deals and promotions (58 percent), new offerings or services (39 percent), healthcare news (37 percent), relevant tips about health or wellness (37 percent) and seasonal vaccine reminders (31 percent).
4. More Americans (37 percent) look to Google to find a pharmacy rather than word-of-mouth (34 percent), but 18 percent look for a pharmacy on Facebook.
5. While choosing a pharmacy, 57 percent of respondents valued a pharmacy that accepts their insurance, 50 percent appreciated competitive drug prices, 45 percent valued expanded store hours, 32 percent desired a useful website and 30 percent cared for delivery options.
6. Twenty-one percent of respondents prefer visiting their local pharmacy over their physician's office when they have children with them.