There’s a recent article at the Baltimore Sun that describes how Doctors offices are trying services like Facebook, Twitter and even Groupon to attract new patients. In fact, through the use of Groupon, one Optometrist expanded their customer based and connected with other eye doctors across the country.

“Groupon has offered a growing number of deals for eye exams, teeth-cleaning and whitening, electrolysis and chiropractic services. Approximately 15 percent of Groupon deals nationwide are for health care services, says Julie Anne Mossler, a company spokeswoman.”

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As companies evolve their marketing programs to digital and online, the pharmaceutical industry is hampered by a lack of clear guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration.  Advertising Age commented on a recent eMarketer study, “DTC Pharmaceutical Marketing Online:A Slow Shift to Digital” that “pharma marketers are waiting around”.  Not only is online marketing effective for growing pharma profits, but it’s where customers spend their time discovering, consuming and sharing information.

From AdAge:

“Pharmaceutical online ad spending is expected hit $1 billion this year and keep rising through 2014, according to report prepared by eMarketer. But until the Food and Drug Administration issues its draft guidelines for online pharma marketing, that growth remains limited.”

Panel experts voiced their support for allowing drug and health care companies to access the power of social networks during the Food and Drug Law Institute’s recent Advertising and Promotion Conference in Washington, D.C.

These experts discussed how to communicate the message of drug and health care product safety and risk to the public as they wait for the Food and Drug Administration to set guidelines online pharmacy without prescription on how health care companies and marketers can proceed into the social-media space — regulation that are expected by the end of the year.

Social Media use by consumers and professionals in the pharma world is exploding and organizations that have been latent to adoption in the past are joining with progressives to demystify and in some cases, embrace the social web. But how?

A recent presentation from John Mack, Publisher of Pharma Marketing News and the Pharma Marketing Blog offers an excellent overview of the current state of pharma social media use, how social media can work with other Pharma marketing tactics as well as how to overcome common barriers.

There’s a new ebook on social media for the Pharmaceutical industry out from Chris Iafolla, of SHIFT drugs online without prescription Public Relations. Todd Defren, co-founder of SHIFT writes:

“Every Social Media program — regardless of the industry — is tasked with finding the right audience and engaging in a thoughtful and productive manner.  For pharmaceutical companies, other issues have to be considered … such as how to handle adverse event reporting; the need for fair balance; and how to handle off-label discussions.  On top of this, you are dealing with a patient audience that is more knowledgeable than ever and craving a give-and-take relationship with their doctors.  When they have questions that require a personalized response, many are as likely to turn to their online peers as to their physicians, which only further muddies that twisty road!  To help Pharma marketing execs navigate this journey, SHIFT today released an eBook aimed at offering practical advice on successfully implementing Social Media programs in the pharma space.”

Physicians are increasingly looking to the internet for health care related information according to a recent study by comScore. However, the trend is not limited to physicians. Consumers are leading the trend towards finding health and medical information buying prescription drugs online online:

“While medical professionals remain a keystone of the US healthcare delivery system, patients and caregivers are empowering themselves in record numbers when it comes to managing their own health and the health of their families, according to new data from Manhattan Research, which revealed that the internet surpassed physicians as the most popular health resource for the first time last year.”

A recent post on the Health Express blog reports on how Healthcare providers are using social media and highlights specifically studies on the subject, examples from the Mayo clinic and the following tips for using social media in the healthcare industry:

If you plan to use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube, you might heed some of the following tips for your own credibility and online pharmacy without a prescription job insurance:

• Learn the platforms: Learn how to use each social media tool to your advantage, which means learning how to use privacy controls and other customizations.

All the buzz about Facebook and privacy issues further reinforces the need for social media policies and procedures in the healthcare industry according to a recent article in InformationWeek Healthcare.

“… with health CIOs thinking about electronic medical record implementations, preparations for meeting the requirements of meaningful use of health IT, virtualization projects, HIPAA Buy Cialis Online Without Prescription regulations, and the explosion of patient data and how to store it securely, social networking guidelines may not be getting the attention it deserves.”

Presentation from Bridget M. Forney.

At one point or another, 80% of Internet users have looked online for health information.  Social networking sites, blogs and podcasts have opened up two-way communication lines for patients and providers.  The days of patients merely listening to doctors, associations or even print advertisements appear to be diminishing.

But patients aren’t the only users benefiting from social media.  Hospitals and healthcare providers can and should us social media to their benefit, as well.

Hospitals have attempted to monitor employee social media use at work by blocking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  While this prevents employees from using hospital computers to access these sites, it can’t stop employees from using personal computers and smart phones to share information about work, i.e. your hospital.  When you can’t abolish social media usage, you can definitely implement restrictions.  Developing a social media policy for your hospital will outline the right and wrong ways your employees can engage with social media.

HealthLeaders Media shared these 5 tips to guide your hospital social media policy: