These days, you can find just about everyone on at least one form of social media. Whether it’s Twitter, LinkedIn, or even YouTube, we all want to stay connected and up-to-date with others. The same holds true for drug manufacturers. PHSI researched how drug manufacturers use social media to communicate with patients, healthcare professionals, and employees. Here’s a brief breakdown of manufacturer presence on different social media platforms:

Facebook

• Drug manufacturers mainly promote disease state awareness, events, and information about their company with links back to their websites.
• There is no mention of specific drug products on any of the researched manufacturers’ pages.
• Occasionally, specific OTC drugs can be found with their own Facebook page.

Twitter

• Manufacturers’ content on Twitter is similar to Facebook. The 140-character restriction results in less information in each post and more links to website resources.

Instagram

• Some manufacturers are using Instagram, which allows users to post pictures or videos and include a description.
• Manufacturers mainly use Instagram to promote their company, showcase events attended, highlight patient stories, and provide disease state awareness.

YouTube

• Many manufacturers have YouTube channels. They include videos which promote their company, provide education and raise awareness of diseases, and highlight patient stories.
• Most of the manufacturers that PHSI researched did not sponsor or include product training videos.
• EpiPen was found to have its own YouTube channel to provide training videos.

LinkedIn

• Some manufacturers use the same information on LinkedIn as they do on Facebook, while others use it strictly for employment purposes.
• Because LinkedIn is mainly used by business people to connect with colleagues, businesses would be less likely to use this as a way to connect with customers.

Pinterest

• Manufacturers don’t appear to be on Pinterest.

 

FDA Social Media Guidance

The FDA released three draft guidance documents in 2014 for manufacturers using social media.

1. Fulfilling Regulatory Requirements for Postmarketing Submissions of Interactive Promotional Media for Prescription Human and Animal Drugs and Biologics (Draft Guidance)
   a. Companies must submit interactive promotional media to FDA as required by postmarketing submission requirements.
   b. Manufacturers must submit all sites for which it is responsible using the appropriate FDA forms.
   c. Updated listings must be submitted monthly.
   d. Screenshots are required to be submitted initially, but may not be necessary in monthly submissions, depending on the type of site.
2. Internet/Social Media Platforms with Character Space Limitations—Presenting Risk and Benefit Information for Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices (Draft Guidance)
   a. Communications must be balanced, accurate and non-misleading.
   b. Benefit and risk information should be presented equally, regardless of space.
   c. Risk information should include the most serious risks associated with the product. A hyperlink should also be provided to allow more direct access to risk information and/or FDA approved labeling.
3. Internet/Social Media Platforms: Correcting Independent Third-Party Misinformation About Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices (Draft Guidance)
   a. Companies can correct misinformation posted by independent third parties, but they are not required to by the FDA.
   b. Manufacturers will need to create internal policies on which information to correct, how it is corrected, and how to document the process.

Refer to the following websites to read the complete FDA draft guidance:
http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/ucm403810.htm
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/UCM404562.pdf

Although there is an opportunity to use social media outlets for advertising, manufacturers are hesitant to use social media for this purpose. The FDA has already issued warning letters to some firms that they are inappropriately using social media. Once the FDA releases final guidance, manufacturers may be more likely to use social media as a way to reach patients and providers.