Who is behind the medicines information on the internet?

Pharmaceutical companies are tapping into online social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and using new media forms to reach wider Australian audiences. Writing in the latest edition of Australian Prescriber, health journalist Melissa Sweet discusses how the internet is helping to globalise and change pharmaceutical marketing, and how this poses challenges for regulators.
 
The article gives examples of evolving marketing practices such as using overseas blogs and websites in countries where pharmaceutical marketing is less regulated than in Australia to promote and sell products. Ms Sweet claims companies are using blogs and websites to develop customer relationships which may enable companies to gather patient stories and feedback for use in positioning their products, although consumers are often not aware of their involvement.
 
The article discusses how pharmaceutical companies are seeking to capitalise on medical social networking sites. One site earns money by letting clients such as hedge funds monitor doctors’ anonymous online conversations and thus gain insight into, say, the popularity of certain treatments.
 
She acknowledges Medicines Australia’s efforts to police the promotion of medicines, but concludes that such regulation is going to become increasingly harder as technology evolves.