While we continue to wait for the FDA to provide more clarity on the industry’s role in the digital space, not to mention the release of any social media guidelines following last year’s hearings, we thought it would be helpful to point out how the organization utilizes digital media for their own purposes.
While a lot of FDA’s content is housed at fda.gov, it has branched out into many corners of the 2.0 world. To bring all of that together, here are samples of just how the agency is using these channels themselves.
The FDA uses Twitter to promote FDA news and make major safety and regulatory announcements including new drug approvals, safety concerns, label changes, and recalls. Twitter handles include FDA Tobacco; FDA Medical Device Information; FDA Animal Health; FDA Recalls; FDA Drug Information; FDA Regulated Medical Devices; and FDA Women. Since the number of tweets can be overwhelming, Mark Senak (of FDA watch blog Eye on FDA) built this ever helpful list to collect them all together. It’s most efficient to follow this handle unless you’re monitoring for an announcement in a particular category.
The FDA Facebook page is used to promote FDA news. They also promote health and safety information coming from other Federal organizations that is of interest to the general public. Users that “like” the page are able to comment on the agency’s wall, though it is monitored and regulated.
Original Content
The FDA is using several different channels for getting original content on the Web and able to be shared on the above social channels. For example, the Transparency Blog provides a more in-depth look at some of the FDA’s decisions and their processes used for these decisions. Further, the FDA has 5 standing Podcasts that provide the function of disseminating emerging safety information on drugs in conjunction with the release of Public Health Advisories and other drug safety issues. In terms of visual content, FDA videos live on a few different channels, including their webpage and YouTube. These videos are each tailored for consumers, healthcare professionals, and the industry at large and provide drug and patient safety information.
Final Thought
As mHealth applications grow in popularity, it will be interesting to see how the FDA utilizes this platform, not to mention regulates it. While they’re monitoring this space, they’ve not set forth regulations or guidance on quality and effectiveness on health applications. Since health and wellness mobile applications can be delivered at a highly personalized level, it’s agreed amongst leaders in the space that the use of such apps have the potential to cut costs across the health and wellness spectrum. Prior to such guidelines being set forth, it’s important to consider potential FDA backlash when liaising with health app companies.
