There have been some interesting developments in the realm of digital PR and healthcare marketing and public relations. As you may have heard, Facebook recently reversed a policy which allowed pharmaceutical companies to close their wall to comments. While product-specific pages may remain closed, company, disease and patient-oriented pages must now allow commentary. However, companies retain the right to post disclaimer information and monitor/delete comments deemed inappropriate.

This begs the question: to stay or to bolt? What’s the big deal you might ask? Top concerns center on reports of side-effects and off-label promotion, a big no-no in the world of pharma.

Let’s take a look at how some companies have responded. According to American Medical News, and numerous other media reports, actions have been varied. Companies such as Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca have shut down some of their pages. Novartis has removed their presence completely, while Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline have updated their pages to detail their policies on commenting.

In the absence of clear guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration, many uncertainties remain. But there is one constant: digital PR and public relations strategy will continue to evolve and so will the social world we live in.

What pharma company do you think is making the right move…and why?