The trend: More than half (52%) of US patients now ask their primary care physician for specific medications, according to ZS’ 2026 Future of Health report. Physicians note that requests are increasing: 65% say they've received more of them over the past three years.

Why it matters: More prescription drug and treatment considerations take place before and after the office visit. Physicians say patients are no longer arriving at their doctor’s office with only a list of symptoms. More are coming in with a working diagnosis and specific treatment and medication requests, according to primary care physicians interviewed in ZS’ report.

AI use for health is fueling pre-visit medication research. Nearly half (46%) of US adults have used AI tools to answer medication-related questions, per a March SingleCare survey. Among them, 51% used it to learn about a specific medication, 44% looked up side effects or dosage information, and 33% compared medication alternatives. Notably, nearly half (49%) changed how they took medication based on the AI guidance.

Implications for healthcare providers and pharma companies: Physician guidance is becoming just one of many sources patients use for medication and health information, forcing clinicians to interpret and evaluate the information patients bring with them to the office. They often have to navigate patient requests for specific prescriptions or treatments that may not be appropriate, while also validate or correct online and AI-generated medical information.

Pharma companies have an opportunity to shape the information patients encounter before and after appointments through disease education websites, decision support tools, medication guides, and educational content surfaced across search, AI, and social media.

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