02-06-2018

Read All About It!

Dear House Rules,

I’m determined to read more this year in my personal time, but I’m wondering if increasing my “reading diet” at work could also be beneficial. As a pharmaceutical marketing professional, I want to make sure I’m always up on the latest regulations governing the pharma and device industries. What publications should I be checking out regularly – and how can I make sure to stick to the habit when I’m being pulled in 20 different directions?

Signed,
Aspiring Bookworm

Dear Aspiring:

A lot of busy people seem to have a similar “resolution” to read more industry-specific publications for 2018 – but as you point out, finding the time can be a challenge. We recommend that you follow that old financial planning advice: pay yourself first. Make an appointment on your calendar (call it Industry Research Session, for example) that allows you to carve out at least an hour or two every week to stay abreast of the current pharma marketing trends, especially those pertaining to industry guidelines and regulations. That will enable you to shape messages for your clients while staying confident that you’re acting within current FDA and regulatory guidelines.

There are certain periodicals you’ll want to subscribe to and peruse – and we’ll get into which ones they are – but for immediate info, it’s best to go straight to the source:

– “Follow” the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Regulatory Page

You can discover a wealth of information at https://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/default.htm, and at the top right side of the page, there’s a small link to “Follow FDA.” Not only will the main page give you loads of content, the “Follow FDA” option will allow you to keep up with the FDA’s Twitter accounts, YouTube channel (they have one – who knew?), and timely blog, FDA Voice, as well as subscribe to email updates so you’ll always know the very latest (and never get caught flat-footed in front of a client!) Although it’s not a regulatory agency per se, it’s always a good idea to give a quick glance at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) home page (https://www.cdc.gov/) to learn about any unusual outbreak activity that might affect your work.

– Review the Main Pharma Marketing Blogs

The great thing about blogs is that you can usually get the gist of a post with the headline alone – and then you can decide if it’s worth your time to do a deep dive and read the entire article. In addition, many of the top pharma and device marketing blogs contain links to relevant books, e-books, and even live conferences that you may want to attend. Some of the hottest blogs of 2017 are listed here.

– Funny, Breezy, Irreverent – and Required Reading

If you’re not reading the Pharma Marketing Blog, by “PharmaGuy” (he’s actually trademarked that name), you’re missing out on some of the most spot-on accurate “gossip” (i.e. news) in the field. No less a news organization than the Wall Street Journal has called it “a must-read blog for insiders…” The one-man-band, homemade quality of the blog (PharmaGuy uses the humble blogspot platform) only adds to the charm of the site – charm that masks some of the most pointed insight and commentary available.

– Yes, Virginia, There Are Still Magazines

All of the publications we list here (and it’s not a comprehensive list) have online versions, of course, to stay relevant in this digital age, but it’s nice to hold a magazine in your hands now and again. Make sure your subscriptions to PM360, Medical Marketing & Media, FiercePharma, Pharmaceutical Executive, and PharmaVOICE are up-to-date.

At Xavier Creative House, we read all these sites and magazines (and more). We want to make sure we’re up-to-date with the most current information about the pharma and device industries, so we can serve our clients better. If you’d like to experience the Xavier difference, feel free to reach out via phone, email, or social media anytime!

Sincerely,

House Rules

About Xavier Creative House

Founded in 2013, Xavier Creative House (XCH) is an award-winning healthcare creative agency specializing in pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device. XCH’s global team of brand builders and healthcare marketers, tech-savvy go-getters, and innovative dream-vetters are passionate about the big idea that changes behavior in the healthcare marketplace. They believe life is about connections and that healthcare is about life. That is why XCH delivers bold and evocative creative solutions, amplified by meaningful technology, to energize brands and authentically connect with patients and HCPs.

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For more information, contact

Sunny White
Founder & CEO of Xavier Creative House