Report · Health

Americans research over-the-counter medicine on health websites and with their doctors

Reading

Americans lean on two kinds of sources when checking a non-prescription medicine's benefits: 65% turn to online reference sites like WebMD, and nearly as many (63%) ask a doctor or other medical professional, according to a Verasight survey conducted May 11, 2026.

Four-in-ten (40%) consult friends and family. Social media matters less, with 16% watching online videos on platforms like TikTok or Instagram and 11% using text-based sites like Facebook, while 8% say they never look for this information at all.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Americans research over-the-counter medicine on health websites and with their doctors.

When choosing a non-prescription medication, I usually find information about its benefits from

  • Online informational websites (for example, WebMD) 65.3%
  • Talking to my doctor or other medical professionals 63.0%
  • Talking to friends and family 39.7%
  • Online videos on social media (for example, TikTok/ Instagram) 15.5%
  • Text based social media (for example, Facebook) 11.4%
  • I have never looked for information about its benefits 8.1%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.3%

beliefs

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.3%
Module
beliefs

Source

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
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Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.