PAAB Delivers on Social Media Training

Earlier this week, the PAAB gave a panel discussion and learning event around the use of social media in pharmaceutical marketing in Canada. It was excellent workshop and a fabulous example of collaboration. At the start of the day, participants were promised that by the end of it they'd be able to define social media and its applications, as well as to better identify what is acceptable under Canadian regulations. The session accomplished this through a combination of presentations and case studies.

For those new to social media, Nathalie Bourré, a pharmaceutical marketing and social media consultant, gave a quick introduction to the arena. This was followed by a presentations by Patrick Massad, the Chief Review Officer at the PAAB, and Henry Anderson, who manages interactive marketing in the Americas for Novartis Consumer Health. Afterward, participants put their knowledge to the test as an expert panel weighed in on the feasibility, legality, and review requirements of several case studies involving different aspects of social media. Members of the panel included Ray Chepesiuk from the PAAB, Ann Sztuke-Fournier from Health Canada, and three industry representatives: Nathalie Bourré, Henry Anderson, and Christian Roy (Pfizer Canada; Montreal session) or Pat Forsythe (Allergan Canada; Toronto session).

While their opinions didn't always agree 100%, a few bits of consensus were clear:

• The same rules that govern print media apply to social media and web. For example, branded promotion geared towards physicians must be gated to avoid consumer access.


• Just like print media, intent of dissemination and control of content are key. Are you providing unbiased information or promoting a product?


• If you create the discussion environment, you are responsible for monitoring it. Moderate discussions to remove off-label and promotional comments by participants. Be clear and pro-active about your posting and moderation policies.


• Don't use social media for the sake of using social media. Make sure it fits into your marketing strategy. Marketing principles have not changed with the rise of social media, only the medium.

A few participants, myself included, live-tweeted the event. To find out what we thought, simply seach #paab on Twitter.

Paper to Pixel: Editing for the Web

If you're in Montreal and work in multimedia, especially websites, you won't want to miss this. The Editor's Association of Canada (EAC) is offering a full-day seminar on editing for the web.

The workshop will be held next Thursday at Hotel Ruby Foo's and costs $220 ($160 for EAC members). It's a hands-on workshop. The organizers are asking participants to submit case studies and come prepared to work on real-life problems.

I've attended several EAC seminars in the past. They've all been excellent.

Listening to the Journals

I love reading and writing, but sometimes my eyes need a break. That's when the word processor goes off and my media player gets turned on.

Almost since it's inception, I've been a big fan of podcasting. Originally, a podcast was a digital recording of a radio show that was then made available over the Internet for download. You could also subscribe to podcasts through a syndication feed so that your favourite show was always ready for listening. These days, it's not just radio shows that are available via podcast. Many magazines and journals create podcasts to complement their print or online content, and medical journals are at the forefront of this revolution.

Usually a podcast from a medical journal will include an overall description of what you can expect to find in the current print edition, as well as a more in-depth look at one or two of the feature stories from the issue. This may include interviews with one or more of the study authors and analysis by other leading professionals in the field.

As a medical writer, listening to podcasts is a great alternative way to stay on top of breaking medical news and discoveries, as well as current opinion. I usually include a mix of medical and science journals in my subscriptions, as well as some general interest science magazines. I listen to them while driving, making dinner, waiting for the train, or over a cup of tea in the afternoon.

Some of the podcasts that I've been enjoying recently include:

The Lancet
New England Journal of Medicine
Journal of the American Medical Association
Science
Nature
New Scientist
Scientific American
The Scientist

Some television news shows and stations have also embraced podcasting in what's now known as vodcasting, or video podcasting; but that's for another blog entry.