Tweets are supposed to be quick and to the point, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is neither in its ever lengthening quest to tell the world's drugmakers how they can promote their potions via Twitter, Facebook and other social media. More than a year ago, after criticizing 14 pharmaceutical companies for posting misleading messages on such sites, the FDA held hearings on the topic and declared it would issue rules by the end of 2010. Now it's delaying them until sometime early next year, perhaps later.

For more than a decade, the FDA has regulated how drug companies sell their products in newspapers, magazines, television and radio. But as the rest of the business world jumps into booming social-media marketing, there are no rules yet for medicine merchants. The pharmaceutical industry had hoped the FDA would stick to its pledge and issue guidelines this year. Earlier this month, in fact, agency officials said that was still the plan. But last week, the FDA office responsible for drafting the new regs said, without elaboration, that it is going to wait at least until the first quarter of 2011 before issuing them.

Read the full Time.com story, “Drug Company Tweeting: Still Awaiting FDA Rules.”

Tweets are supposed to be quick and to the point, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is neither in its ever lengthening quest to tell the world's drugmakers how they can promote their potions via Twitter, Facebook and other social media. More than a year ago, after criticizing 14 pharmaceutical companies for posting misleading messages on such sites, the FDA held hearings on the topic and declared it would issue rules by the end of 2010. Now it's delaying them until sometime early next year, perhaps later.

For more than a decade, the FDA has regulated how drug companies sell their products in newspapers, magazines, television and radio. But as the rest of the business world jumps into booming social-media marketing, there are no rules yet for medicine merchants. The pharmaceutical industry had hoped the FDA would stick to its pledge and issue guidelines this year. Earlier this month, in fact, agency officials said that was still the plan. But last week, the FDA office responsible for drafting the new regs said, without elaboration, that it is going to wait at least until the first quarter of 2011 before issuing them.

Read the full Time.com story, “Drug Company Tweeting: Still Awaiting FDA Rules.”