The pharmaceutical industry is very interested in using social media to promote products, services and issues important to it. However, many drug firm executives are uncertain about how to tackle the legal and regulatory issues associated with social media communications.

While this paper cannot substitute for FDA guidance, it can give marketing, legal and compliance professionals a common understanding of the regulatory environment, examples of how pharmaceutical companies are moving ahead with social media initiatives and a framework for discussing the elements of their own company’s social media programs.