Report · Health

Doctors are Americans' top source for medication side-effect info

Reading

When starting a new medication, about two-thirds of Americans (68%) get information about its side effects by talking to their doctor or other medical professionals, a May 2026 Verasight survey finds. Nearly as many turn to the information provided by the pharmacy (62%) or online informational websites like WebMD (59%).

Roughly a quarter (27%) talk to friends and family, while far fewer look to online videos on social media (12%) or text-based social media such as Facebook (8%). Just 5% say they've never taken a medication or looked up information about its side effects.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Doctors are Americans' top source for medication side-effect info.

When starting a new medication, I find information about its side effects from

  • Talking to my doctor or other medical professionals 67.6%
  • In the information provided by the pharmacy 62.1%
  • Online informational websites (for example WebMD) 59.2%
  • Talking to friends and family 26.9%
  • Online videos on social media (for example TikTok/Instagram) 12.4%
  • Text based social media (for example Facebook) 8.1%
  • I've never taken a medication / looked up information about its side effects 4.7%

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.

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