RxWiki survey spotlights social media use among community pharmacists

AUSTIN, Texas — A recent survey from digital health company RxWiki took a look at how community pharmacists use social media to stay connected with patients and drive store visits.  About 65% of community pharmacists use social media, with 63% using Facebook and 24% using Twitter. 

 

More than 68% of pharmacists reported a feeling that social media use had a definite positive impact on their business. Pharmacists reported commonly posting one or more times per week, typically sharing content with health-related information or 

 

"Posting on Facebook helps us stay connected with our patients in a way that works for them," said Peggy Vogel, Office Manager for Coastal Pharmacy. "By pushing great content to our patients through social media, we can extend the personal relationship we have with our patients to the digital forum."

 

The survey didn’t find a consistency across who at a pharmacy is in charge of social media, and many pharmacists cited time as a reason not to use social media. About 20% said that they didn’t’ use the platforms because they lacked understanding. But those that do understand social media are looking to leverage it beyond keeping in touch with patients, as the survey found that 23% of pharmacists advertise on social media, particularly Facebook. 

 

“Most small businesses don't think that social media can really drive results for their business, especially for populations that might be a little bit older or for businesses that deal with serious issues like patient health," RxWiki SVP Azim, Nagree said “But what we've seen is that people of all ages are consuming content because it's really like talking to their pharmacist.”

 

The survey was based on responses from 181 community pharmacists.