2011

No doubt you've heard that as of August 15, 2011, Facebook opened up comments on ALL pharma pages with some exceptions. That means that the pharmaceutical industry will no longer be able to shut off comments on their Facebook pages.

Patients also need more effective counseling about their medications. In an effort to make drug package inserts easier to read and understand -- and perhaps to save money on printing costs -- the FDA is planning to test single-page consumer information sheets that would replace the multi-page package inserts and medication guides widely used in retail pharmacies. However 'dumbed down' the label gets, it is still important that physicians and pharmacists take a more pro-active role in educating consumers about the drugs they are taking.

Pharmaceutical marketers have jumped on the mobile application bandwagon as more and more companies roll out health-related applications for smartphones and touchpads such as Apple's iPhone and iPad. But will the FDA regulate certain smartphone apps as medical devices? This article discusses the regulatory and other issues associated with pharma developed or sponsored health apps.

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

A summary of the highly anticipated 2011 results of Kantar Health's annual Stakeholder Effectiveness survey, which revealed that over two-thirds of respondents from leading companies in the pharmaceutical sector think that customer retention is a key performance measure.

Welcome to Volume 10, Issue #18 (1 DECEMBER 2011) of Pharma Marketing News.

From the Audition in the Press to TV, Web, and Print Advertising. Pfizer and Amgen demonstrate how to launch a branded spokesperson campaign starting from a bit of over-the-top unregulated press relations to fully regulated TV, print, and Web advertising. It must be costing a mint!

Welcome to Volume 10, Issue #13 (23 AUGUST 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.

The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether drug companies have to pay their sales representatives for working overtime hours, a question that could have considerable financial impact on the industry. The question before the court in case CHRISTOPHER V. SMITHKLINE BEECHAM CORP is whether or not pharmaceutical sales representatives are exempt from overtime pay under the 'outside sales' exemption of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. If the Supreme Court rules that pharma sales reps are NOT exempt, some sales reps worry that they will become