2011

Many critics of pharma-supported CME believe this support leads to bias. Between 9 May 2011 and 13 September 2011, readers of Pharma Marketing News were asked to answer a few short questions relating to potential bias in industry-supported CME programs and how to limit the need for industry funding of CME. The results are summarized in this article.

When asked what the # 1 concern pharmaceutical marketers have regarding using social media, the adverse event reporting (AER) boogey man is cited most often. The urge to avoid this boogey man at all costs may have more to do with CEO compensation that with fears of rank-an-file marketers.

Is Your Brand a Digital Genius or a Feeble-Minded Idiot? When it comes to digital IQ, some brands are geniuses and some are feeble-minded idiots, according to the 'L2 Digital IQ Index' for pharmaceutical brands, a first-of-its kind measurement of the digital competence of 51 pharma brands across eight therapeutic categories.

Pharma social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube may lack patient-centered information and can also be sources of misleading information that could potentially do more harm than good.

Welcome to Volume 10, Issue #6 (30 MARCH 2011) of Pharma Marketing News.

The long-awaited social media guidance from the FDA -- whenever it arrives -- may turn out to be nothing more than a stamp of approval on activities in which the industry is currently engaged. Practically every issue that FDA guidance is expected to address has already been handled independently by a few pioneering pharmaceutical companies. Rather than waiting for FDA's anti climatic guidelines, Pharmaguy decided to publish The Pharmaguy Social Media Timeline™ now, at a time when the industry already has set precedents in every social media application.

Why do pharma companies bother developing drugs for for a disorder affecting fewer than 200,000 people? Willie Sutton's ghost may have the answer.

This article summaries research data exploring why physicians interested in using online peer-to-peer social communities outnumber by 2 to 1 physicians who are actually using them. Includes suggestions for what these communities must do in order to provide more value to physicians.

Welcome to Volume 10, Issue #5 (10 MARCH 2011) of Pharma Marketing News.

How much money the pharmaceutical industry spends on Internet marketing, direct-to-consumer advertising, and physician detailing are always topics of interest and 2010 was no exception. 2010 was, however, a turning point in bringing more attention to payments made to physicians for speaking, consulting, and research.