We all know the world of communications is experiencing a tectonic shift. The way people seek and receive information is evolving before our eyes.
For organizations with important messages to share about their products, services, or mission, this changing landscape offers immense possibilities, as well as significant challenges. But for GSK and other pharmaceutical companies, there is another layer of complexity.
Given the unique nature of our business--making and delivering medicines--pharmaceutical companies, like GSK, face some particularly unique regulatory parameters governing our communications.
Yet, there is no question that patients, physicians, media, investors, payers, policymakers, and others are increasingly turning on-line to social media resources for information about healthcare issues and products. So we feel obliged to these stakeholders, as well as our shareholders, to productively and appropriately engage in this new space.
Ergo, this blog.
But More Than Medicine is expressly uninterested in promoting GSK brands. As stated in our credo, our intent is to express a point of view and create a dialogue on health and healthcare issues you can't find anywhere else--not to serve as another product marketing vehicle.
Still, there will be times when you might expect us to address product-related issues or news that clearly relates to the purpose of this blog and, by extension, our company's reputation. We will endeavor to do so responsibly and ethically, and within the existing legal and regulatory boundaries.
The myriad of considerations around posts that are related to a GSK product demonstrate the communication challenges we have with our participation in the ever-expanding social media milieu. Despite recent FDA communications on sponsored links, as this NY Times article indicates, it is still unclear how, and in some cases, if pharma can appropriately utilize blogs, wikis, and applications like YouTube and Facebook to provide information about our products.
We need a candid, constructive dialogue about how the internet and social media can be used most appropriately to communicate about healthcare issues, including treatment options. We look forward to being a part of it.
Thanks for visiting and for your kind words Marc. You and J&J have led the way.
I agree with your point that we need to have, as you put it, a "candid, constructive dialogue" about how companies can be part of the conversation about health and healthcare issues on the social web. But it is only by joining in through efforts like your blog that we can even begin to have an informed discussion on this subject. Congratulations.
Congratulations on starting this blog. I'm sure all stakeholders will appreciate your efforts in more open communication and dialogue.