AHRI.Community perspectives on drug promotion on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 2022-2023
South Africa, 2022
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AHRI.Drug.advertising.workshop.coding.matrix.Nov.2023
AHRI.Community perspectives on drug promotion on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 2022-2023
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| South Africa | ZA |
Background:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media and web-based platforms were widely used to promote medicinal substances. To assess community perspectives on drug promotions on social media, we conducted qualitative research using three workshops. The workshops aimed to highlight the public understanding of drug advertising focusing on community perceptions of social media drug promotions, their risks and benefits. Discussions were conducted on the importance of adhering to national drug regulation policies and the World Health Organisation ethical criteria for promotion, advertisement, and publicity of medicines.
Methods:
Participants for the workshops were purposively sampled from local community youth groups and healthcare facilities. Two workshops included ten young adults aged 18-35, while the third workshop involved three healthcare professionals and one traditional healer.
Results:
The study participants' highlighted the value of honesty and trust in the drug promotions. Gaps in the ethical conduct of advertising were observed and concerns were raised about the reliability of social media information and the omission of valuable details on the drug advertisements.
Conclusion:
Individuals have a right to informed choices that ensure their health safety. This study has highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in pharmaceutical and complementary medicine marketing on social media. Collaboration is needed between regulatory bodies, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and community members, to make sure that drug advertising upholds ethical standards and public health.
Analysed narrative data
Workshop discussion responses
Version
v1.0.0
Scope
| Topic | Vocabulary | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Drug promotion; drug advertising; social media; ethics and COVID-19; traditional medicine | Africa Health Research Institute | www.ahri.org |
Coverage
Data was collected in the eThekwini district. Participants were from the community youth centers, clinics, pharmacies and areas in the surrounding CBD Durban.
Young adults ages (18-24), health personnel participating in prescribing, medicines during COVID-19, and a traditional healer
Producers and sponsors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Rujeko Samanthia Chidawanyika | AHRI |
| Janet Seeley | LSHTM/AHRI |
| Julia Ndlazi | AHRI |
| Name |
|---|
| Africa Health Research Institute |
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Global Health Research Institute | GHBN | Funder |
| Africa Health Research Institute | AHRI | Funder |
| South African Population Research Infrastructure Network | SAPRIN | Funder |
Sampling
The participants in the workshops were purposively selected and recruited from local community youth groups and healthcare facilities
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2022-04-01 | 2022-09-30 |
Data processing
All the data collected was transcribed and translated. Analysis was done by an experienced social scientist. Notable codes were deduced from the transcribed data. Later, thematic analysis was conducted where common themes raised in the workshops were summarised in a Microsoft Excel work sheet.
Data Access
Access to the data requires accurate completion of the online data access application form accessible on the AHRI Data repository(https://data.ahri.org/). Data users are required to abide by the data use conditions stipulated on the application for access to the data. Failure to do so may result in their data access privileges being revoked by the Data Custodian. In order to recognise the effort and intellectual contributions of AHRI investigators in producing and curating the data, users of AHRI data must acknowledge the source of the data and abide by the terms and conditions under which the data is accessed and must cite the dataset in publication using the citation provided as part of this documentation. All analytical datasets published on the AHRI Data Repository are assigned digital object identifier (DOIs) and the DOIs can be found on the Data Repository under Study Description tab - Access policy. AHRI data users are required to always cite the dataset using the relevant DOI.
Chidawanyika, R. S., Seeley, J., & Ndlazi, J. (2024). AHRI.Community perspectives on drug promotion on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 2022-2023 [Data set]. Africa Health Research Institute.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.23664/AHRI.DRUG.ADVERTISING.WORKSHOP.CODING.MATRIX.NOV.2023
Metadata production
DDI.AHRI.Drug.advertising.workshop.coding.matrix.Nov.2023
| Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Africa Health Research Institute | AHRI |