Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Pediatrics launched a second ADHD-focused Facebook page on April 22, this time targeting adults in the US with the disorder.
The Facebook page, called ADHD Allies (www.facebook.com/adhdallies), features ADHD experts serving as online team leaders whom offer “insight, experiences and advice to help other adults with ADHD take on its real-life challenges and realities,” according to a McNeil statement.
The page’s community leader team includes Ari Tuckman, a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of ADHD; Terry Matlen, an adult with ADHD and a psychotherapist and consultant specializing in ADHD; and Evelyn Polk-Green, president of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) and an adult with ADHD, among others, according to the statement.
J&J’s ADHD drug Concerta was given an expanded indication by FDA last June, and is now indicated for patients ages 6 to 65. However, the ADHD Allies community page is not a branded site, according to McNeil Pediatrics spokesperson Tricia Geoghegan. “There is no brand, any brand at all, on the site,” said Geoghegan. “[ADHD Allies] is about people talking to people. It’s relational as opposed to transactional.”
Individuals joining the community page, dubbed “fans” by Facebook, have the option of commenting on the page’s “ADHD Allies Perspective” comment wall. Users wishing to comment are provided with a topic – this month’s topic invites adults with ADHD to share how they felt when first diagnosed with the disorder – with comments subject to “pre-moderation,” explained Geoghegan.
According to the comment wall user greeting, comments that do not directly relate to the event topic will not be posted. Additionally, McNeil will not post comments “about any specific products or treatments, whether they are sold by McNeil Pediatrics, affiliated companies, or competitors.” Users are also prompted to accept McNeil’s terms of use prior to posting.
Under the “resources” tab, the community page contains links to patient advocacy and medical groups, as well as governmental organizations. Patients seeking more information about treatment options can use the last link under the tab, which directs them to a page on the National Institute of Mental Health website. That page provides “the entire compendium of treatments [for ADHD],” said Geoghegan.
“We wanted the page to offer lots of resources, and a thorough and balanced offering from third parties,” said Geoghegan.
The ADHD Allies page currently has 165 fans. McNeil’s ADHD Moms Facebook page, which launched last summer, has garnered more than 8,000 members to date, according to a McNeil statement.
From the June 01, 2009 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
