Mobile

A targeted mobile effort for a thermometer shadows the flu

Matthew Arnold January 04, 2012

Mobile campaigns are getting increasingly targeted through layering of identifiers like location, age and gender. An effort for a new thermometer serves ads only to expecting moms and those with children under five within two miles of a store selling the device and only when influenza is running rampant where they live.

FDA guidance exempts most pharma apps from scrutiny

Matthew Arnold July 19, 2011

FDA issued draft guidance on mobile medical apps, focusing narrowly on those programs that augment regulated medical devices or turn mobile devices into medical devices.

Pharma digerati push for online guidelines

Matthew Arnold June 16, 2011

Frustrated by FDA inaction on guidance for digital marketing and social media, a host of industry players are banding together to form a nonprofit that can hammer out consensus on a way forward.

Mobile mania: smartphone users dialing up health info; docs prefer Apple

Matthew Arnold May 04, 2011

A quarter of US smartphone users are looking up medical info on their devices, and three-quarters of US physicians own an Apple device, according to a pair of surveys.

Pfizer texting campaign plugs vaccinations

Matthew Arnold April 27, 2011

Pfizer is piloting a mobile education campaign promoting awareness of the value of childhood vaccinations through texting.

Havas launches "#a11y" digital practice for disabilities market

Matthew Arnold April 05, 2011

Havas Drive has launched a practice focused on developing digital products for persons with disabilities and those undergoing rehabilitative therapies.

Everyday Health moves aggressively into mobile apps

Matthew Arnold March 15, 2011

Everyday Health is going big on mobile, with 23 apps in six verticals, seeking advantage against its older competitor WebMD.

Much ado about mommy bloggers, mobile apps and paid posts

Matthew Arnold March 02, 2011

An Abbott iPhone app is drawing attention to the practice of compensating bloggers for app reviews, as some call into question the ethics of pay-for-play online PR.

Apps on fire, but pharmas losing the mobile health arms race, says report

Matthew Arnold February 16, 2011

Pharma investment in app development exploded last year, as companies branched out beyond diabetes, but industry spending on mobile is still dwarfed by other healthcare players, according to an Ernst & Young report.

Only a fraction of pharma ad budgets go to mobile, survey finds

Ben Comer February 01, 2011

Pharma manufacturers expressed a clear interest in launching new mobile initiatives in the coming months -- if they haven't launched them already -- but nearly three-quarters of the companies surveyed said mobile budgets represent 5% or less of their total ad spending, a new survey found.

Dey launches EpiPen app

Matthew Arnold January 26, 2011

Mylan's Dey Pharma launched MyEpiPen App, designed to help patients with severe allergies and their caregivers cope with episodes of anaphylaxis.

At work, Sermo docs prefer the Epocrates app, MM&M poll finds

Ben Comer January 10, 2011

Doctors responding to an MM&M survey hosted by Sermo - a social network for practicing physicians - said they use the Epocrates mobile app more often for work purposes than any other app.

Walgreens partners with Epocrates to highlight drug rebates

Ben Comer October 20, 2010

Walgreens is hoping physicians will consider its "Prescription Savings Club" list of over 8,000 brand and generic drugs before deciding which script to write for underinsured or cash-strapped patients. Epocrates will provide point of care access to the list via mobile device starting today.

The Little Blue Book publisher rebrands, expands offering

Ben Comer September 21, 2010

A year after purchasing WebMD's The Little Blue Book, a referral directory for docs, mdHub changed its name to HCPlexus, and expanded its offerings to include, among other things, an iPad leasing program.

Pfizer, AZ let clinicians query medical affairs staff via mobile phone

Marc Iskowitz June 03, 2010

Drug companies are putting their in-house medical staffs on call for prescribers to ask product-related questions or report adverse events via smartphone.

MDiTV to feature medical news, live surgeries

Ben Comer April 29, 2010

MDiTV launched an online network featuring daily medical news videos hosted by ex-CNN anchors Andrew Holtz and Cathy Marshall. Produced internally, the three- and four-minute news programs look like TV news segments, and cover medical news topics du jour.

Apple's tablet tempts mobile CME app makers

Marc Iskowitz April 15, 2010

The Apple iPad gives physicians a new way to connect to courses, news and other educational content. But surveys disagree on whether medicine will adapt to the tablet device.

Pfizer seeks ways to ease adverse events reporting digitally

Matthew Arnold March 30, 2010

Pfizer is experimenting with electronic medical records and mobile technology to detect safety issues sooner.

Physician referral directory revamped for 2010

Ben Comer March 10, 2010

Doctors using The Little Blue Book for patient referrals will be able to decide how they want to use their thumbs -- for page turning or mobile app navigation -- when a revamped edition launches next quarter.

Smart phones and apps proliferate among docs, surveys say

Ben Comer March 04, 2010

About 80% of all US physicians will be using smart phones by 2012, and not just for drug reference or clinical information. An explosion of new healthcare professional-facing apps - over 1,500 in Apple's app store alone - will expand mobile device usage to include patient care and administrative functions, according to Manhattan Research survey.

Pollen.com adds new features for allergy season

Ben Comer February 18, 2010

Pollen.com, an allergy site for consumers, is getting revamped with new features for the upcoming allergy season

Managing diabetes, counting carbs? There's an app for that, says Sanofi-Aventis

Matthew Arnold December 08, 2009

Sanofi-Aventis launched an iPhone application aimed at helping diabetics count calories on the go. The free GoMeals app draws on the CalorieKing nutritional database to give carb counts for menu items at 200 chain restaurants as well as à la carte estimates for standard dishes and 25,000 food items.

Epocrates mobile app adds disease areas

Ben Comer October 23, 2009

Epocrates expanded its mobile resource centers, adding disease-specific areas underwritten by pharma advertisers.

McNeil mobilizes ADHD awareness in NYC

Ben Comer October 16, 2009

Pedestrians mulling around Times Square in New York City can learn more about ADHD - and McNeil Pediatrics' Concerta - by responding to an advertisement on the CBS jumbotron, via text message.