JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Early identification is critical for mitigating the impact of medicine shortages on patients. The internet, specifically social media, is an emerging source of health data.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore whether a routine analysis of data from social medium X can serve as an early warning system for medicine shortages and, if so, for which medicines or patient groups

Methods:

Medicine shortages between January 31 and December 1, 2019, reported by Dutch pharmacists and published by KNMP Farmanco, were compared to Dutch Tweets on these shortages. We collected the Tweets by searching for the name, the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or the first word of the brand name of the medicines in shortage. The timing of the Tweets concerning publication by KNMP Farmanco was assessed.

Results:

Of the 341 medicine shortages, 102 (30%) were mentioned on X. Of these 102 shortages, 18 (5% of the total) were mentioned prior or simultaneous to publication by KNMP Farmanco. Only four (1%) of these were posted more than 14 days before. On average, Tweets were posted with a median delay of 37 days to publication by KNMP Farmanco. Shortages mentioned on X affected a greater number of patients and lasted longer than those that were not mentioned. We could not conclusively relate either presence or absence on X to a disease area or route of administration of the medicine in shortage.

Conclusions:

Social medium X is not a suitable early warning system for medicine shortages. X primarily echoes already-known information rather than spreads new information.