Online Marketing of Falsified Drugs in Ghana: Content Analysis of Selected Drugs on Social Media

This study investigates the marketing of falsified drugs on Facebook and Instagram. The study also examines steps that drug regulators are implementing to address this phenomenon. To holistically understand the issue, the study adopts the technique of online observation to understand how these falsified drugs are marketed online. Interviews were used to capture the regulators’ point of view. Through the lens of social judgement theory, the study found that online peddlers of falsified drugs employ over-elaboration of the efficacy of the drugs to capture the interest of the target market. Lower price mechanisms are also used to stimulate the desire of their target audience. Additionally, these perpetrators also advertise door-to-door delivery services to assure clients of obtaining these drugs at their convenience. Another interesting finding from the study is that celebrities are also used as instruments of persuasive advertising. Data obtained from selected officials from the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) suggest that the agency has been organizing public sensitization programs to dissuade members of society from patronizing these online products. It was also found that the FDA is adopting viable strategies to track down culprits and mete out deserving punitive measures to. The study concludes that despite efforts to foil the menace of fake drug marketing on social media, these peddlers are also employing deceptive and persuasive marketing techniques. The study recommends that the FDA must optimize the use of the Internet for both sensitization and tracking purposes. Keywords: Falsified drugs, FDA Ghana, strategies, online marketing, social media DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/92-03 Publication date: September 30 th 2024