PrintA few months ago Visible Technologies, a social media analytics firm, released a study examining the prevalence of drug side effect or adverse event conversations in social media content. This research is important because many pharmaceutical companies have cited fears of adverse events as a major reason for not engaging more aggressively in social media marketing.
Based on its research Visible concludes that drug firms have little to worry about from adverse events in social media. In a recently published blog post a Visible employee urges pharma to get involved and not let the fear of drug side effects prevent action.
However, is the Visible study the final word on drug adverse event content in social media? As this analysis, published on the Living the Path wiki today indicates, the landscape is still very murky. Visible's research is limited by the fact that the firm selected a Rx drug category with a relatively low volume of conversation and a lower proportion of side effect content than say, mental health.
What's your take on the issue of adverse event reporting in social media? Is it the primary reason drug firms are not engaging in social media more aggressively? Or, is it something else, like the lack of FDA guidance?
