This paper examined the impact of pharmaceutical marketing through social media on Indian youth and investigated the psychological mechanisms influencing purchase intention. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional research design, primary data were collected by administering 512 questionnaires to respondents aged 18-30 years. The relationships between Social Media Exposure, Perceived Credibility, Trust, Attitude toward Pharmaceutical Marketing, and Purchase Intention were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results revealed that Social Media Exposure significantly influenced Attitude both directly and indirectly through Perceived Credibility and Trust. Attitude emerged as the most powerful predictor of Purchase Intention, indicating that positive perceptions of pharmaceutical marketing content determined higher behavioral intention. The model demonstrated good fit indices and high explanatory power, accounting for 56% variation in Purchase Intention. The research highlighted the influential role of social media in creating persuasive effects on youth decision-making within the pharmaceutical sector. The findings underscore the importance of credibility, transparency, and ethical communication in digital pharmaceutical advertising in the Indian context.
Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Pharmaceutical Marketing, Indian Youth, SEM, Perceived Credibility, Trust, Attitude, Purchase Intention, Digital Health Communication, Consumer Behaviour.
How to cite this article: Nandurkar P, Deshmukh SB, Chandwaskar P, Gupta P. The impact of social media on pharmaceutical marketing: a study of Indian youth. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(3s): 811-816; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.3s.98
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None