All Drugmakers Must Develop Social Media Policies, Monitor Internet for Chatter About Products, Experts Say

All drugmakers need a social media policy regardless of whether they have an active presence in the online world or not, experts at the Food and Drug Law Institute’s annual conference advise. Companies should also be paying attention to what others are saying about their products on the web.

Some of a drugmaker’s employees could be engaging in social media, putting both themselves and the company at risk, Dale Cooke, vice-president and regulatory group director at Digitas Health, a healthcare advertising company, said.

The FDA has taken enforcement actions against companies for employee actions on their personal social media accounts, Cooke noted. He pointed to agency enforcement against a pharmaceutical company after a sales rep posted a video she took of herself on the job on her own YouTube account.

There are no questions about it: Social media presents a host of problems for drug and device companies. Still, for brands that manage their presence successfully, the upside potential is huge.
But what’s the secret to keeping control over your brand as people share on social media? What does an FDA-proof social media presence look like? What happens if consumers use YouTube, Twitter or Facebook to report previously unknown adverse events? How do you present balanced promotions and important safety information using social media?

With FDAnews’ Social Media Strategies for Drug and Device Companies you can help get your company in control of social media.

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