Doctors are Americans' top source for medication side-effect info
Core finding
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 distribution
Doctors are Americans' top source for medication side-effect info.
When starting a new medication, I find information about its side effects from
n = 1,000 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±3.3%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.3% |
| Module | beliefs |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
When starting a new medication, I find information about its side effects from
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.