Pharma, think in possibilities!

A crisis period like this painfully exposes something the pharmaceutical industry has been struggling with for much longer.

Namely finding the scope and capacity, but also the will and flexibility, to switch course in a rapidly changing world.

At a time like this, when a change of course is required to adjust to a new world, it turns out that the organization is held back by its own, perhaps rather outdated, interpretations of laws and regulations.

Concerns about violating laws and regulations have created something of a culture of fear. A culture in which new possibilities are not embraced, but resisted because they involve the unknown.

To avoid fines and court proceedings, pharmaceutical companies adopt a cautious approach and steer clear of new communication channels, such as LinkedIn, for example.

That’s too bad.

In times like these, when you need to seek new ways of keeping in touch with your customer, we should all be investigating what’s possible.

Because…

“If you don’t actually know where the limits are, you can’t know whether you’re making the right decision,” explains lawyer Marloes Meddens-Bakker, who specialises in pharmaceutical advertising.

“If you’re not willing to explore the limits, you won’t know whether you’re crossing them or not. There’s a lot of grey area, I admit. But grey area also means possibilities. ”

To see where these possibilities lie, Marloes advises that you should always be specific about what you want and indicate why you think something IS possible. “If you consult with compliance, make it specific. Say ‘I think this is possible for the following reasons’. Don’t be vague and say ‘I want to do something with LinkedIn’ (which is likely to set off all the alarm bells), present a specific proposal. ”

For example, when you send out an update aimed at professionals, add a disclaimer.

“Intended only for prescribing medical professionals. Sharing or liking this message could lead to a violation of the Medicines Act. “

Marloes advises, “You can target a specific group on LinkedIn. But because it’s a public medium, there’s a risk in this. When someone likes or shares a message, it becomes visible to users outside the target group. A disclaimer like this can certainly help when you want to share certain information on a public medium in a responsible way. ”

So talk to each other about what’s possible, don’t just dismiss every option out of hand based on fear. By doing that you also close off your route into today’s new world.

Suzanne Torenvliet

Thanks to @Marloes Meddens-Bakker

Any other question on how to use LinkedIn as Pharma?

Who am I?

My name is Suzanne Torenvliet and I have been working for the pharmaceutical industry for more than 20 years. In the last  years i specialized myself in online communication.

Linkedin these days is the way to stay in the picture with your medical target group.

LinkedIn is no longer an online CV, LinkedIn is the way to profile yourself as an expert and support your customer where you can. By listening to your customer online and responding to it with relevant content.

Do you want to know more about the possibilities? I am more than willing to help you.