Healthy Skepticism Library item: 16437

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Richard M
Using Social Media in Pharmaceutical eMarketing
Healthcare Digital 2009 Sep 10
http://www.healthcare-digital.com/MarketSector/Pharmaceuticals/Using-Social-Media-in-Pharmaceutical-eMarketing-_31681.aspx

Abstract:

How to Use It Effectively, Meet the Challenges, and Measure Results in Dollar Terms…

Full text:

Eularis has released a new report that shows pharmaceutical marketers how they can use social media networks to meet their marketing objectives. Entitled “How to Harness the Power of Social Media in Pharmaceutical eMarketing,” the report addresses the key legal and regulatory concerns of pharmaceutical marketing and shows how to create a strategic, knowledge-based media campaign.

The report also takes a look at specific social media, such as blogs, social networking, Twitter, YouTube, Google, and Wikis. Through observing how patients, physicians and pharma companies currently use these tools, Eularis develops best practices for their use in marketing. Finally, the report examines key case studies of healthcare social media eMarketing campaigns and gives instructions on how to build your own campaign and how to measure and achieve financial objectives.

“I see this common belief that social media is too difficult to implement effectively in Pharma, given the regulatory and legal hurdles, and of course the lack of ability to measure financial impact of the activities”, said the author of the report, Dr. Andree K. Bates, President of Eularis. However, she believes these challenges are often exaggerated. “Certainly there are challenges, and adverse event (AE) reporting is a key concern of many companies due to the lack of control over it in this kind of media. However these concerns are overstated,” she said. “The reality is that a recent study by BuzzMetrics found that only 1 in 500 messages on health related message boards and social networks was eligible to meet all four of the FDA’s AE reporting criteria. Given most online communities discourage the use of personally identifiable information this is what one would expect.”

“By carefully utilizing social media as part of an integrated, carefully planned campaign – especially given that these emerging social media tools are inexpensive to implement and have already been proven to be highly effective for gaining prescriptions – we should not be as fearful in our industry as we appear to be,” she concluded.