Clicks before clinics: Why more people are replacing doctors with search engines, social media
By Willow Health, August 2, 2026New research across all 47 counties shows social media is reshaping how Kenyans decide which medicines to take, and which to stop.
Thousands of Kenyans encounter posts promoting medicines while scrolling through social media on a daily basis. A celebrity endorses a weight-loss supplement. An influencer shares an acne treatment that “worked wonders.” A friend posts about an antibiotic that supposedly cured an illness within days. What appears to be ordinary online content is increasingly shaping how people think about medicines and, ultimately, the decisions they make about their health.
As researchers, we believe this shift deserves far greater public attention than it currently receives. Social media has become an indispensable part of everyday life, and with it has come an unprecedented transformation in how health information is created, shared and consumed.
While these platforms have enormous potential to improve public health, they have also become fertile ground for misinformation, misleading advertising and self-medication. Our research suggests that Kenya is now at a point where digital health information should be treated as a public health issue rather than merely a communication issue.
Our interest in this subject arose from a simple observation: more Kenyans appear to be discussing medicines online before speaking to healthcare professionals. Questions once directed to pharmacists or doctors are now typed into search bars or posted on social media, where responses come not only from qualified professionals but also from influencers, marketers and anonymous users whose credibility is often difficult to establish.
To better understand this phenomenon, we conducted a nationwide study between September and December 2025 examining how social media influences medicine use patterns among Kenyan adults. The study formed part of a wider undergraduate research project titled The Influence of Social Media on Medicine Use Patterns in Kenya.
Health information
The study explored how social media is shaping medicine use patterns among Kenyan adults by examining public exposure to medicine-related content, trust in online medicine information compared with professional healthcare advice, the medicines most commonly promoted online, and the influence of such content on medicine-related decisions.
Using a structured online questionnaire distributed through a snowball sampling approach, we collected responses from participants across all 47 counties. A total of 502 responses were received, of which 399 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis. Participants were recruited through social media platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and LinkedIn.
Because recruitment was conducted online, our findings are most representative of active internet and social media users rather than the entire Kenyan adult population. Nevertheless, they provide an important picture of how digital platforms are influencing medicine-related decisions in contemporary Kenya.
One finding stood out almost immediately: social media is no longer simply a tool for communication or entertainment; it has become a significant source of health information. More than 96 per cent of respondents reported actively using social media, with nearly 4 out of every 10 spending between 3 and 4 hours online daily. More than 1 in 5 reported spending over 5 hours online each day. These figures alone illustrate the immense opportunity social media presents for influencing health behaviours.
Our analysis further demonstrated a statistically significant association between time spent on social media and engagement with medicine-related content. Simply put, the more time people spent online, the more likely they were to encounter and interact with information about medicines. This is hardly surprising. Health-related content is increasingly woven into people’s daily online experiences through advertisements, videos, testimonials, influencer endorsements and sponsored posts. Over time, repeated exposure can shape perceptions, influence attitudes and affect behaviour.
Studies show people are turning to the internet for health information because it is quick, easy to access and free. With more people owning smartphones and using social media, many now check online first when they have symptoms or want to know about medicines and treatments. This is especially true for younger people, who often search online before seeing a doctor. Features like testimonials, peer recommendations and influencer content on social media make this even more common. This matches what we found: social media is now a major source of medicine-related information for Kenyans, and the more time people spend online, the more they encounter this kind of content.
Importantly, our research does not suggest that social media is inherently harmful. On the contrary, digital platforms have transformed public health communication in remarkable ways. During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, social media enabled governments, health organisations and professionals to disseminate timely information to millions of people.
Health literacy
Public awareness campaigns on vaccination, disease prevention, maternal health and healthy lifestyles have all benefited from the speed and reach of digital communication. When used responsibly, social media can improve health literacy, encourage early healthcare-seeking and strengthen public engagement with credible health information.
The concern arises when reliable information competes with content that is inaccurate, commercially motivated or intentionally misleading. Our findings revealed that respondents were frequently exposed to advertisements for skin treatments, weight-loss products, vitamins, nutritional supplements and, more worryingly, prescription-only medicines such as antibiotics.
Medicines are fundamentally different from ordinary consumer products. They require appropriate diagnosis, correct dosing and professional guidance. Promoting them through persuasive marketing techniques without adequate context risks encouraging inappropriate medicine use.
Perhaps the most concerning finding from our study was not merely that people encounter medicine information online, but that many act upon it. A substantial proportion of respondents reported purchasing medicines after seeing them promoted on social media. Even more worrying, nearly a quarter acknowledged changing or stopping prescribed medicines because of information encountered online.
These findings should concern all stakeholders in healthcare. Altering prescribed treatment without consulting a healthcare professional can lead to treatment failure, worsening disease and avoidable complications, and, in the case of antibiotics, contribute to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Although social media may not be the sole reason behind such decisions, our findings suggest that it has become an influential factor that cannot be ignored.
Social media
Equally revealing was how respondents viewed the credibility of medicine-related information shared online. While almost half remained neutral, nearly a third considered social media information to be as credible as, or even more credible than, advice from healthcare professionals. We do not interpret this as a rejection of medical expertise. Rather, it reflects the persuasive power of digital communication. High-quality graphics, compelling personal stories, celebrity endorsements and thousands of likes and comments can create an impression of authority, even when the information lacks scientific evidence.
Social media algorithms may further reinforce these perceptions by repeatedly presenting users with similar content based on previous interactions. Over time, repetition itself may strengthen belief, making it increasingly difficult for individuals to distinguish evidence-based information from persuasive marketing.
For this reason, we believe healthcare professionals can no longer afford to remain passive observers in the digital space. If qualified voices are absent from online conversations, misinformation will continue to occupy that space. Pharmacists, doctors, nurses, researchers and public health institutions must actively participate in digital communication by providing accessible, accurate and evidence-based information that empowers the public to make informed decisions.
Our study also highlights the importance of strengthening Kenya’s regulatory environment. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board already regulates medicine advertising under existing legal frameworks, but enforcing these regulations in the digital age presents new challenges. Online advertisements sometimes originate from outside Kenya, are shared rapidly across multiple platforms, or are promoted through influencers and unofficial sellers who may operate beyond conventional regulatory oversight. Addressing these challenges will require closer collaboration between regulators, technology companies, healthcare professionals and digital content creators.
Verifying sources
However, regulation alone will not solve the problem. Equally important is improving digital health literacy. As access to information expands, the ability to evaluate that information becomes increasingly critical. Members of the public should be equipped with practical skills to verify sources, question extraordinary claims, recognise commercial bias and understand when professional medical consultation is necessary. An informed public remains the strongest defence against health misinformation.
Although our study is among the few in Kenya to specifically examine how social media influences medicine use patterns, it should serve as a starting point rather than a conclusion. Additional nationally representative studies are needed to monitor evolving trends, compare different regions and population groups, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting responsible medicine use online.
Research should not end with publication or remain confined to academic institutions. It should contribute meaningfully to national conversations that improve public health and inform policy. That is precisely why we believe these findings deserve wider public discussion.
If there is one message we hope readers take from our research, it is this: social media is now firmly embedded within Kenya’s healthcare landscape. It has become a source of health information, medicine recommendations and treatment advice for millions of people. Ignoring its influence is no longer an option.
The question is not whether Kenyans will continue using social media to seek health information; they undoubtedly will. The real question is whether the information they encounter will be accurate, evidence-based and centred on patient safety.
Addressing these challenges calls for coordinated action from regulators, healthcare professionals, digital platforms, researchers and the public. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board should strengthen oversight of online medicine promotion and work with tech companies to flag misleading adverts and unverified health claims, while platforms must improve transparency and ensure profit does not come before public safety.
Healthcare professionals need to be more active online, sharing accurate, evidence-based information where the public already seeks health advice, with universities and professional bodies building their digital communication skills. The public, in turn, needs stronger digital health literacy: verifying claims through credible sources, questioning bold promises from influencers, and consulting professionals before changing any medication. Ultimately, safe, accurate digital health information depends on shared responsibility across regulators, health professionals, platforms and the public.