Drugmakers No Longer Able To Block Wall Posts on Facebook

Starting today, most pharmaceutical companies no longer will have the option to block public comments on their Facebook pages, marking a reversal by the social networking website, the Washington Post reports.

Details on Changes

The company will allow some drugmakers to block wall comments for specific prescription product pages, but pages that are focused on the companies themselves or that serve as disease- or patient-specific communities will be open to public comment.

Andrew Noyes, manager of public policy communications for Facebook, said, “We think these changes will help encourage an authentic dialogue on pages.”

Drugmakers’ Concerns

Many drugmakers are worried about the risks of allowing the public to comment on their Facebook walls, and some are reconsidering whether to maintain profiles on the site.

The companies are concerned that users might write about adverse side effects, promote off-label drug use or post inappropriate statements about their products, which could raise alarm among government regulators.

For example, some firms are worried that if a Facebook user posts a comment about a bad reaction to a specific drug, the company would need to file an adverse event report with FDA.

Monitoring Comments

Under the new Facebook policy, owners of profile pages still will be able to delete comments after they appear.

Andrew Widger, a spokesperson for Pfizer, said the company will keep its pages open but will “monitor to make sure no inappropriate comments are posted, and manage them if and when they occur.”

Tony Jewell, a spokesperson for AstraZeneca, said “We’re very strongly committed to social media, but we have to make sure that the amount of time and resources spent on (monitoring it for problems) is appropriate.” On Friday, AstraZeneca shut down a page devoted to depression, and Johnson Johnson is expected to close four pages today (Torres, Washington Post, 8/12).

Social Media Guidelines for Drug Industry Still in the Works

FDA has been developing guidelines for pharmaceutical companies and social media for several years.

The release of the guidelines has faced several delays, and FDA officials say they do not know when they will be finished (Scott, “Newsworks,” WHYY, 8/11).

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