DIGITAL channels in the pharmaceutical promotion system in the Russian pharmaceutical market

Introduction. The Internet takes leading positions in the ranking of information sources for physicians and pharmacy workers. This «dependence» of medical and pharmaceutical workers on the Internet creates new marketing opportunities for pharmaceutical companies. Digital marketing, a relatively new area, emerges in the pharmaceutical industry. Digital marketing is a powerful tool in informing medical and pharmaceutical workers about drugs, but it can also play a negative role when used for misinformation and misleading. Objective: to analyze the composition and contents of digital channels used to promote drugs in the Russian pharmaceutical market. Material and methods. The authors analyzed scientific publications and regulatory acts on the circulation of medicines, 13 specialized professional on-line resources, 50 websites of pharmaceutical manufacturers, 30 profiled specialized groups in the social networks, and 30 brand platforms. They used methods, such as content analysis, generalization, and systematization. Results. The authors compiled a list of 13 digital channels and described the features of using a certain category of digital promotion channels depending on the target audience and the degree of dispensing regulation. It was found that there were no clear and understandable mechanisms for verifying the information obtained through digital channels. This can contribute to irrational prescription and recommendation of drugs and increase treatment costs for patients or cause undesirable adverse reactions. Conclusion. During digital promotion, there is a risk of misinformation for ultimate drug users.