10 social media accounts you need to follow in the pharma sector

In the last five years the pharma sector has finally become socially connected – but there’s more to be done to get the most out of the tools available

We’ve hand-picked 10 of the most important social media accounts and groups to connect with, no matter whether you’re just starting out, or you’re a regular tweeter.

These brands and users have been collated based on a typical month’s social activity and influence. We looked at popular hashtags, users who engage with industry, Klout score, audience sizes and a host of other analytics data to find these accounts and groups.

1 - FDA Drug Information (Twitter)

The FDA has several Twitter accounts for its various department, but this one has evolved into a surprisingly light digest of the latest approvals, breakthroughs and thought leadership. They don’t engage with any other accounts (except for other FDA departments) so don’t expect a re-tweet – but then, it is the FDA.

2 - Michelle Petersen (Twitter)

Michelle is the founder of health-innovations.org , an online community dedicated to supporting innovation in health. Her feed is worth following for general interest, but she’s also a great person to interact with if you’re connected to a new launch or development product.

3 - Professionals in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry (LinkedIn)

This is one of the biggest groups on LinkedIn for our sector. If you’re not a member, you should be. With over 200,000 members, anything you share will be seen by a lot of people. Discussion is wide-ranging, from the potential impact of big data (yes, people are still talking about that), right through considerations for tablet coating – it’s a broad church.

4 - Euro Pharma Mag (Twitter)

This is EPM’s very own Twitter account – we couldn’t leave it out of the list. We

love connecting with our readers, and share our daily news roundups – follow us and stay in touch.

5 – WHO (Twitter)

Arguably, everyone working in the life science sector should connect with the World Health Organisation. As the chief authority on guidance for stakeholders, this is really a must-follow account – as is evidenced by its 2.7 million followers. WHO on Twitter is concerned with highlighting global health issues and urging life science communities to act.

6 – Ben Hirschler (Twitter)

Ben is a top scorer in terms of ‘Twitter Klout’. He’s one of the most respected voices, writing on healthcare and pharma for news agency Reuters. Join his 15,800 followers for a mix of witticisms, insight and other, broad interest news.

7 - Matthew Herper (Twitter)

Another leading name from the world of journalism, Matthew’s account is a must for political commentary around the pharma sector. Matthew writes for Forbes and always has something to say about big pharma.

8 - EFPIA (Twitter)

“EFPIA is the voice of the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe”. That’s the description underneath the Twitter handle, and it sums the account up nicely. The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations represents the research side of the sector, and its Twitter account engages with the global community on a regular basis.

9 - Pharmaceutical Discussion Group (LinkedIn)

This group is great for manufacturers. Many people use it to post technical queries and conundrums regarding their in-house process. Group members are all invited to collaborate and share intelligence. Join this group to learn a lot and stay in touch with your fellow experts.

10 – NICE

Another one of those accounts that everyone (at least those working in the UK market) should follow. Stay up-to-date with the latest guidance and updates from NICE.