Social Media & Pharmaceutical
Companies: Is there value?
Richard Meyer-Strategic Online Solutions
July 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009

Objective-Methodology
✤ Objective:
✤ Determine if consumers/patients desire to interact with a
pharmaceutical company on social media.
✤ Methodology
✤ Quantitative via Internet
✤ 2264 Responses
✤ 64% female
Saturday, July 25, 2009

Key Findings
✤ Consumers do not want to directly interact (talk) with pharmaceutical companies via
social media but a social media site that brings patients together would find an
audience if it had the right elements.
✤ Women are 3x more likely to use social media for health than men, however men will
view social media health sites when triggered.
✤ Consumers will use social media for health as part of the health information seeking
process but are skeptical of the credibility of information.
✤ Patients doctors, pharmacists and the Internet answer most health questions but
patients want to know more “real life” experiences and healthcare options
Saturday, July 25, 2009

Key Findings (con’t)
✤ Patients would respond to a site that both brings people who have similar health
issues/questions but do not want to directly engage with a drug company via
conversational sites like Twitter.
✤ There is high awareness of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter but not when it
comes to health. They hear about such sites mostly via word-of-mouth
✤ Patients would like to be connected via social media to their physician as they feel it
would both save time and money.
✤ While insurance companies are providing more health information it is met with a
degree of skepticism. Customers would welcome interaction with their insurance
provider via social media in searching for general information not detailed health
questions.
Saturday, July 25, 2009

Design elements of social
media pharma page
✤ We asked participants to design the perfect social media prescription
drug page. Here are the key elements that they wanted:
✤ Disease state information (how many, symptoms, key metrics such as blood count or bone density)
✤ Brand ambassadors (let me connect with others who have experience with the disease to learn from their experiences)
✤ Clear who is sponsoring the page (transparency)
✤ Interactive tools (am I at risk, can I use your drug with my other medications?)
✤ Clear information on potential side effects (not label language)
✤ Resources/links via the Web
Saturday, July 25, 2009

What conditions would you use a
drug company social media site?
✤ Women ✤ Men
✤ Osteoporosis (71%) ✤ Sexual Health (36%)
✤ Cancer (55%) ✤ Cancer (45%)
✤ Reproductive health ✤ Joint Replacements (25%)
(45%)
✤ Cholesterol Mgmt (17%)
✤ Cholesterol Mgmt (57%)
✤ Diabetes (60%)
✤ Diabetes (69%)
✤ Depression (34%)
✤ Depression (58%)
Saturday, July 25, 2009

Why wouldn’t you use “Twitter”
to talk to a drug company?
✤ “They would try to sell me”
✤ “Don’t trust them to tell me the truth”
✤ “My doctor always gives me great information she is great”
✤ No clear value “who would I be talking to?”
✤ Afraid to disclose personal information and how the information they
provide would be used.
Saturday, July 25, 2009

Implications
✤ While one-on-one communication is not desired by patients/consumers there is a clear
need/want to bring people together on a social media site with a host of tools and
interactive features. All can be integrated via low risk legal and regulatory approval.
✤ Getting men to engage and use social media is going to be as difficult as getting them to
the physician for preventative care.
✤ Use your patients/customers as brand ambassadors and let them spread the word
about your product via social media site like Facebook.
✤ While Twitter may not work for patients it may work as a corporate news feed for
investors.
Saturday, July 25, 2009

Implications (con’t)
✤ If a social media page is developed ensure that resources are provided to update the
page on a regular basis. Social media is about “now” not about once and done.
✤ Patients/consumers are using social media so you need to ask the question “do we
want our message out there?”
✤ Social media is not a ‘quick fix”. It will take time to bring people together and earn
their trust. There is also risk in not updating social media pages when negative news
about your product appears in the general media.
✤ Finally, don’t gage the reach of your social media via people who follow your page..one
person usually has a reach to 8-10 others and people may visit and chose not to follow
your page.
Saturday, July 25, 2009