‘Patient influencers’ are being paid by big pharma to mislead TikTok and Instagram followers about drugs like Wegovy, experts warn
- Researchers interviewed 26 patient influencers, mainly ‘mico-influencers’
- More than half had collaborated with a pharmaceutical company in some way
- Maker of ‘miracle’ weight loss jab Wegovy ‘bribed pharmacists’
- Are you a patient influencer or do you know one? Contact caitlin.tilley@mailonline.com
So-called ‘patient influencers’ are being paid by big pharmaceutical companies to make content that might mislead their TikTok and Instagram followers, experts warn. With trust in pharmaceutical companies decreasing, drug makers are cashing in on real patients turned social media influencers to spread the word about their products. An influx of posts on TikTok and Twitter has put drugs such as weight-loss shots Ozempic and Wegovy in the spotlight, leading some to take it without a doctor’s prescription.
