The US Food and Drug Administration has finally weighed in on pharmaceutical company's use of social media to respond to unsolicited questions about off-label use of approved devices and drugs. The guidelines, however, fall far short of a comprehensive rulebook for social media marketing that many were hoping for.
The new guidelines help pharma companies respond when a consumer reaches out via Facebook or Twitter to ask questions about off-label use of a drug or device. For instance, a company could respond to questions about the safety of drug for a certain type of person, but if a user asked whether Lipitor could make them smarter, for example, the company should direct the consumer to the drug safety and use webpage. The guidelines are completely ...
