The trend: US consumers trust the pharma companies that advertise the prescription drugs they’re taking, per M3 MI’s 2025 MARS Consumer Health Study. 

Key stat: Almost half (46%) of US adults say they trust pharma companies they know via the medications they take, per M3 MI.

Digging into the data: Younger age groups were more trusting of the pharma companies who advertise the drugs they’re prescribed.

• 61% of Gen Zers and young millennials ages 18-34 and 50% of people ages 35-49 said they trust the pharma companies that advertise their drugs.
• 34% of people ages 50-64, and 36% of the 65+ age group agreed.

Yes, but: US consumers in general dislike pharmaceutical advertising.

• 60% of US adults support a ban on pharma TV ads.
• One quarter oppose a ban TV drug ads.

Why it matters: People are interested in pharma advertising as an information source.

• 56% of US adults agree that pharma ads make them more knowledgeable about medicines, per the M3 MI study.
• Younger people were more interested: 69% of ages 18-34 say ads help them learn about drugs, while 46% of people ages 65 and older say the same.

Our take: Pharma companies can take heart in knowing the people who take their drugs trust them and their advertising. But it’s also an opportunity for precise data and media targeting to reach new consumers who would be interested in their medication—undiagnosed people or competitors’ patients—and receptive to learning about them.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Not a subscriber? Click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.