Pharma's Use of Medical Conference Hashtags

Pharmaguy interviews digital consultant Len Starnes about the use of medical conference hashtags by the pharmaceutical industry.

The conversation covers these issues and questions:

• What sparked this discussion about pharma's use of medical society conference hashtags?
• The authors of the analysis describe Twitter conference reporting as a 'backchannel', implying that it is somehow covert. Is it?
• Do you agree with the analysis that pharma disproportionately influences HCPs on conference hashtags?
• Do you support the authors of the analysis that all pharma tweets on conference hashtags constitute ‘detailing’?
• Should medical societies try to control conference hashtag use - is it possible or desirable?
• What exactly are the authors of the analysis proposing?
• Is self-regulation a better option for the pharma industry?