Report · Health

Most look up a new medicine to feel better about taking it

Reading

Most Americans (57%) say that when they look up a new medicine, their goal is to feel more positive about their medication, and 43% want the search to reduce their anxiety about it, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.

Smaller shares want to change the way they think about a medication (18%) or to feel connected to others with their health issue (16%). Another 15% have some other goal in mind, and 11% say they do not take medication.

Topline

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Selected responses

Most look up a new medicine to feel better about taking it.

When looking for information about a new medicine, my goal is to

  • Feel more positive about my medication 56.5%
  • Reduce my anxiety about my medication 43.3%
  • Change the way I think about a medication 17.8%
  • Feel connected to others with my health issue 15.6%
  • Something else 15.0%
  • I do not take medication 11.0%

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
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
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.