Social Networking Not Good for Advertising Pharmaceutical Drugs, FDA Says
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The face of pharmaceutical drugs advertising is being revolutionized by the likes of social networking sites like Facebook. Many companies, even drug companies, are using social media to promote their products. Promotional pieces publishing information about prescription drugs over popular social networking sites accessed by millions, such as Facebook, can be dangerously misleading and incomplete, the FDA cautions.
Already the FDA has had to issue a warning to Novartis Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of Tasigna, a cancer fighting medication, to cease advertising with the Facebook share application. FDA rules mandate that promotional pieces on pharmaceutical drugs must contain information about risks associated with taking the drug, as well as its benefits. Any risk warning must be prominently linked on the website. Furthermore, in online campaigns, drugs cannot be advertized as superior alternatives over other medications, if such an efficacy cannot be proven with solid clinical studies.
Why was Novartis Identified by the FDA for its Prescription Drugs Promotion?
Novartis is one example of a pharmaceutical company harvesting the online marketing potential of powerful network pages like Facebook to market its pharmaceutical drugs. In addition to not complying with FDA advertising standards, Novartis failed to notify the FDA of the drug promotion. This is the first warning the FDA has issued to a pharmaceutical company concerning self promotion on Facebook.
Social network applications, the FDA charges, must also create some safeguards for the effective and proper marketing of drugs and health products on its site. Novartis has removed the widget to comply with the FDA ruling and continues ongoing discussions with the FDA to understand concerns about the safety and efficacy of its pharmaceutical drugs. Stay tuned to PrescriptionDrugs.com to follow the latest developments on this and all other prescription drug-related news.
