Want to keep track of the conversation around the FDA special hearings on internet and social media?

This #FDASM aggregator site from Ignite Health should do the trick.

The site was created to capture conversations and resources related to the Nov. 12-13 FDA public hearing on how FDA-regulated product manufacturers use the Internet and social media.

A mobile version of the site is also available.

Check out some of the most recent tweets on the site:

• From @rohal: Dermatologists, Med Oncologists are the Top Phys Spec Groups Communicating with Patients Online http://bit.ly/bHvqoL #hcsmeu #pharma #hcsm

The pharmaceutical industry is slowly venturing into the world of social media. And like with any advance into uncharted territory, there are obstacles to overcome before the ultimate goal is reached.

The Shed blogger Daniel Siddle takes this all into consideration in a recent post discussing the merits of social media in the pharmaceutical industry and the ways in which it can benefit from interaction with customers.

The post initially mentions the obstacles the pharmaceutical industries faces in terms of marketing products:

Cost: Marketing pharmaceuticals is expensive, especially because it can’t be done until after the drug receives New Drug Approval (NDA).

These days, it’s common for consumers to discuss drugs and treatments on health care social networks like WebMD, as well as on general social networks like Twitter.

Yet the pharmaceutical industry has thus far been unable to participate in social media — not because they are prohibited by law, but because there is a lack of clear regulatory guidelines for marketing on social networks and other web sites.

Still, in April, the FDA sent warning letters to 14 companies, claiming they violated regulations regarding presentation of fair balance in search engine ads, according to AdvertisingAge.

It’s clear that social media has gained widespread popularity amongst the consumer-oriented Fortune 500 crowd. But how about pharmaceutical, biotechnology and devices/diagnostic companies? By and large, they have been reluctant to participate in the social web, instead sticking closely to a Web 1.0 model. That’s the point made in a recent Life Science Leader article by Cliff Mintz:

Indeed, only a handful of life sciences companies have decided to take the social media plunge, claims Jonathan Richman, director of business development at Bridge Worldwide Inc. and author of the popular “Dose of Digital” blog, which tracks social media usage by life sciences and healthcare companies.

It’s clear that business leaders in a range of industries have come to embrace social media channels, including Twitter, to communicate with customers, manage brand reputation and increase brand visibility. But are healthcare executives lagging?

That’s a question Pharma 2.0 bloggers Bunny Ellerin and Eileen O’Brien ask in a recent post:

Tweeting is fast becoming a must-do vs. a what-are-you-doing for business generally and CEO’s in particular. Just last week Twitter published Twitter 101, a guide to help businesses leverage the service. Last month, BusinessWeek ran an article about business leaders who use Twitter and profiled 50 CEO’s from a range of industries. There was definitely an over-representation of tech CEO’s, but BW also talked to those from advertising/pr, construction, research, media, retail. But none in healthcare.

Pharmaceutical and healthcare market research company Manhattan Research released a new research report, “Pharmaceutical Search Engine Marketing” that explores how to leverage health topic searching behavior to fulfill brand goals amidst the new FDA regulations. The report also looks at emerging trends and technologies like mobile search, personalization, and real-time search.

Key questions that are answered in the report include:

• How is the use of search engines for health information evolving?
• What role does search play in the online health and pharmaceutical landscape and how does pharmaceutical information searching vary by demographics and different points in the treatment continuum?

Advertising Age recently posted a good article on digital marketing for the pharmaceutical industry worth a read. It speculates what implications regulatory issues will have with pharma companies that participate on the social web.

“No question social media is the hot topic in pharmaceutical marketing. Some companies are taking a few baby steps, but everyone is worried about FDA regulations — or lack thereof, because there aren’t any specific to social media.”