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# Using Social Media for Drug Use Trends
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/using-social-media-for-drug-use-trends/
- Published: 2018-11-15T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T00:44:56.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5142833

FDA Office of Communications associate director for research and risk communications **Paula Rausch** says the agency is identifying and analyzing online and social medical conversations as part of a broad, systematic approach to monitoring drug use and abuse trends in society. In a *CDER Conversation*, Rausch [says](https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/NewsEvents/ucm625919.htm?utm%5Fcampaign=New%20CDER%20Conversation%3A%20Monitoring%20Social%20Media%20to%20Better%20Understand%20Drug%20Use%20Trends&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=Eloqua) the data gathered from social media help FDA identify areas to explore in greater depth through more detailed and rigorous primary data collection efforts. “When we monitor social media platforms,” she says, “we are trying to get the broadest swath of information that we can about how people are talking about a particular issue.”

According to Rausch, online forums and social media are important venues for diverse groups of people to share information and opinions, ask questions, and get advice about health and other issues. And due to online anonymity, she says, people may be more honest and open to sharing information online than they might be willing to disclose in person.

On the other hand, she says, there are limitations to this type of data because there is no way to be sure if the people participating in discussions are real people or if their accounts are truthful. “The findings are not reproducible, generalizable, or even representative,” Rausch says, “so we cannot use them conclusively. Social media research must be used in conjunction with other data and methods. However, for our purposes, social media monitoring is the fastest and cheapest way to gather a lot of information quickly and to help us formulate steps for subsequent research.”