TikTok has rapidly developed into one of the most important platforms for short videos in recent years. With over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide, the app is particularly popular with younger target groups. In Germany, TikTok enjoys a steadily growing user base, with around 20 million users who are active on the platform every day【1】. This popularity makes TikTok an important channel for social interactions, entertainment and, increasingly, for sharing health and medication experiences.

Unlike Facebook or Instagram, TikTok is based almost entirely on video content. This creates a dynamic environment in which trends and challenges play a major role. Especially for companies in the healthcare sector, including the pharmaceutical industry, TikTok opens up new opportunities for patient communication, but also challenges in the area of pharmacovigilance (PV).

Interaction possibilities and pharmacovigilance

There are various interaction options on TikTok that are relevant for pharmacovigilance:

Videos and comments:

The core function of TikTok is short videos uploaded by users. These videos can be commented on and liked by other users. The comments are of particular interest to pharmacovigilance, as users can report on their experiences with medications or treatment methods. These comments must be regularly monitored to identify and report potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

The challenge on TikTok is that content can quickly go viral, and therefore continuous monitoring is necessary. Comments on viral videos shared by medical influencers or pharmaceutical companies can contain valuable clues about ADRs. However, identifying such comments requires advanced technologies and a systematic approach.

TikTok Stories:

TikTok also offers the function of posting "stories" that disappear after 24 hours, similar to Instagram and Facebook. Users can react to these stories by liking them as well as commenting. These comments are particularly relevant in the context of pharmacovigilance, as users could share their experiences with medications there. Since stories are only available temporarily, they need to be monitored in real time to ensure that potentially important information is not lost.

Private messages (direct messages, DMs):

Like other platforms, TikTok allows direct messaging between users. This feature is often used for private conversations, but it can also be used to exchange information relevant to pharmacovigilance. Since these messages can contain confidential information, it is important to strictly adhere to data protection policies and have a reliable system for monitoring and documenting such messages.

Stitch and Duet videos:

TikTok offers unique interaction opportunities through "Stitch" and "Duet" functions. Users can react to existing videos or edit them and add their own content. When a user reports on their experience with a drug and other users respond with their own experiences, potentially relevant information for PV can emerge. Monitoring such content is particularly challenging because it is often shared in different formats and across multiple videos.

Special features of the TikTok platform for PV monitoring

Unlike Facebook and Instagram, TikTok does not currently offer a public API that allows for easy monitoring of content. This means that manual monitoring on TikTok can be particularly time-consuming and error-prone. The platform is also heavily influenced by rapid changes and new features, making it difficult to establish a consistent monitoring process.

Another aspect is the speed at which content can go viral on TikTok. A single video can reach millions of views in a matter of hours, making continuous, automated monitoring essential.

Monitoring with evalii®

TikTok is a platform that particularly appeals to younger users, but is also becoming increasingly relevant for health and medical devices. By systematically monitoring videos, comments and private messages, potential PV events can be identified and reported at an early stage, as required by legal requirements.

evalii® offers you the possibility to efficiently monitor your TikTok projects and campaigns and ensure that no relevant information is overlooked. With evalii® you can take advantage of modern technologies to optimize your patient communication and ensure the safety of your products.

Sources:

【1】 Statista: Number of TikTok users in Germany

Cover image © Adobe Stock | tashatuvango

Der Beitrag TikTok & Pharmakovigilanzmonitoring erschien zuerst auf evalii - pharmacovigilance monitoring service.

Instagram has established itself as one of the fastest-growing social platforms worldwide, with a focus on visual content. The platform allows users to share photos and videos, post stories and communicate via direct messages. With over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide, including around 21 million in Germany, Instagram is an important channel for personal and commercial exchange 【1】.

In recent years, Instagram has evolved from a platform for lifestyle and leisure photos to an important tool for brand communication and customer interaction. Companies are increasingly using Instagram to reach their target audiences with engaging visual content, and this is also true for the pharmaceutical industry.

In Germany, Instagram has steadily grown in popularity in recent years, especially among younger users. Companies are increasingly recognizing the platform's potential for marketing and customer communication. The introduction of features such as IGTV, Reels and shoppable posts has expanded the opportunities for interaction and engagement. For pharmacovigilance (PV), Instagram offers unique challenges and opportunities, as users often share their health and medication experiences in images and videos.

Interaction possibilities and pharmacovigilance

Monitoring Instagram in the context of pharmacovigilance requires a deep understanding of the platform and its different forms of interaction:

Posts and comments:

The most popular format on Instagram is regular posts. These photos and videos can be commented on by users at any time, both immediately after they are published and weeks or months later. This fact makes it crucial to establish a reliable process for monitoring profiles that publish new posts weekly, for example. In reality, a strictly manual process is often not efficiently feasible, so when operating your own profiles you should always rely on an automated solution to identify new comments.

Stories and Reels:

Instagram Stories and Reels are short, temporary videos that often complement posts. Like the posts themselves, Stories and Reels can be commented on. Users often share everyday moments here, including their experiences with medication. This content disappears after 24 hours (Stories) or remains permanently on the profile (Reels), which requires continuous monitoring.

Direct messages:

Direct messages on Instagram allow private communication between users and companies. Here, users can share detailed and personal stories about their experiences with medication. It is important to have an effective system for monitoring and documenting these messages so that no relevant information is missed. Data protection and confidentiality must always be guaranteed.

Influencer marketing:

Another important aspect on Instagram is influencer marketing. Influencers who promote medicines or health products can have a large reach and exert considerable influence on their followers. Posts and stories from influencers who report on their experiences with medicines can also contain relevant information for pharmacovigilance. Monitoring this content is particularly important when working with an influencer to ensure that all legal requirements are met and potential ADRs are reported.

Special features of the Instagram platform for PV monitoring

While META provides an interface for retrieving comments, it can by no means be described as reliable. Changes to the interface, which META makes frequently and irregularly, must always be kept in mind in order to enable the retrieval of comments reliably.

Furthermore, Instagram accounts can only be monitored if there is an existing technical connection to a Facebook page via the API (interface).

Monitoring with evalii

Instagram is probably the most important social media platform for a variety of medical indications and thus the pharmaceutical industry, as it attracts a large number of regularly active users and visual content that can contain valuable information. By systematically monitoring posts, comments, stories, reels and direct messages, potential PV events can be identified and reported at an early stage, as required by legal requirements.

evalii offers you the possibility to efficiently monitor your Instagram projects & campaigns and ensure that no relevant information is overlooked. With evalii you can take advantage of modern technologies to optimize your patient communication and ensure the safety of your products.

Sources:

【1】 [Statista: Number of Instagram users in Germany](https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/221041/umfrage/anzahl-der-instagram-nutzer-in-deutschland/)

Der Beitrag Instagram & Pharmakovigilanzmonitoring erschien zuerst auf evalii - pharmacovigilance monitoring service.