#Pharmacovigilance: 4 Reasons why we should be listening to Social Media

In our modern society, each new day can be unrecognizable from the last. Technological advancements come and go so frequently that we often miss trends that are right in front of us; the health and pharmaceutical industry is no exception to this constant highway of change.

Social media may not be the first tool which comes to mind when thinking about the health industry. But, as we all know, social media now penetrates every industry across the globe including Pharmaceuticals. First introduced in 1961 by the World Health Organisation, Pharmacovigilance enables pharmaceutical companies to detect adverse effects prior to authorization onto the market. Research before marketing is therefore mandatory to prevent such events occurring post release and thus posing a potential threat to consumers.

In recent years there has been a notable increase in the use of social media for health related issues. So how can social media monitoring really have a significant impact on pharmacovigilance activities and how can it be utilized?

1. DETECT cases of ADR’s related to your product from unlimited social media sites, online forums and communities.
2. COLLECT data that can inform your R&D teams about trends and consumer needs that are not being met, which will feed into your subsequent drug research.
3. MANAGE crisis with the help of customized alerts in real time, and detection of specific online conversation.
4. MONITOR the brand's reputation after the launch of a new drug; know what consumers are saying about your products and use this for your communication strategy.

It is imperative for the pharmaceutical industry to run with the growing customer engagement on social media, not only to promote new products, but to further ensure the safety and understanding of both consumers and producers. If you would like more information on Pharmacovigilance check out our new eBook for everything you need to know.

This infographic highlights the importance of social listening in the process of drug safety monitoring: