Pharmaceutical Social Media: The Right Prescription for Marketing

No one can deny the power and reach of social media. From consumer marketers to business-to-business companies, it has become an effective marketing tool. A chief growth area has been pharmaceutical social media as drug companies of all stripes have come to embrace it.

As we all know pharmaceutical marketing is highly regulated by the FDA and, while there are no clear guidelines governing pharmaceutical social media, many companies are finding ways to make use of it. For example, some healthcare companies are finding ways to connect physicians via secure social networks to improve information sharing for example.

Pharma social media should be about more than just product marketing… Some companies are making use of pharmaceutical social media to focus on stories about employees, wellness information, and corporate content. They are extending their pharma social media efforts to include YouTube and Facebook pages.

In absence of definitive social media policy from the FDA, pharmaceutical companies need to work closely with their legal team along with marketing professionals who possess a strong understanding of pharmaceutical social media engagement to ensure that the laws governing marketing and advertising are being followed.

Some things to consider when undertaking a pharmaceutical social media program:
- Tell human stories. The importance of health is a universally shared value. Pharmaceutical social media should strive to connect people with common experiences. Focus on compelling stories that highlight benefits of your company’s product. Success stories should be reviewed and submitted in compliance with all applicable regulations and, once approved, shared through social channels to demonstrate real impact in the lives of consumers and enhance public goodwill toward the company.

- Educate everyone involved on the importance of pharmaceutical social media. Begin the process by highlighting the need to have a presence. Remember, you don’t need to have every bell and whistle available when launching a pharmaceutical social media program. Choose a few vehicles and gradually add others to your pharmaceutical social media arsenal.

- Check with legal. Working with your company’s legal counsel is essential in any pharmaceutical social media marketing effort. Think creatively on how to advance your brand goals and provide your legal team with multiple campaigns. Find ways to problem solve with your counsel.

- Stay on label. While the ways in which information is shared have changed, this doesn’t mean that the overriding regulations are different. Disseminate all pertinent product information through your pharmaceutical social media efforts to avoid regulatory issues.

- Have a pharmaceutical social media policy in place. Create strong internal guidelines for your company’s pharmaceutical social media campaign. Prior to beginning any pharmaceutical social media program, establish controls and expectations of staff that would be involved in public engagement. Create a list of regulatory boundaries and potential scenarios where legal counsel would be notified of consumer concerns. Once approved, schedule frequent reviews of the social media program to identify potential pitfalls around key regulations like patient privacy or adverse events.