A new web application has been launched to help US pharmaceutical companies maintain their Facebook pages.
Facebook AETracker helps organisations to track adverse drug reactions and product misinformation in user comments on their Facebook pages in real time.
The programme also allows companies to report any claims of side effects to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The application was created after Facebook announced that it would enable public feedback and comments on pharmaceutical company pages in May of this year. Facebook took this decision in order to encourage dialogue between companies and patients.
Facebook AETracker also alerts users to possible threats and hacks that might effect a company’s reputation.
Siva Nadarajah is CEO of Semantelli, the company which makes Facebook AETracker. He says: “Our ability to track adverse events, product misinformation and other potential threats real-time in Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels should make the FDA happy.
“This also allows pharma companies stay on Facebook, and at the same time frees them to further explore the power of social media without waiting for guidelines or fearing regulatory impacts. Social media is just another channel. We should treat it as such. It can play a major role in improving health outcome.”