There is a thriving network of pharmacy tweeters but recent exchanges have left a sour taste in the mouth – which is a shame as Twitter and social media in general have much to offer the profession.

 

Twitter has a lot going for it. It allows the exchange of ideas and enables people to connect with one another. It can be interesting, enlightening and adds a touch of light relief to our busy lives.

But Twitter as a forum for reasonable and reasoned debate? There have been regrettable signs of late that social media in pharmacy is following the pattern seen in the national press, where people with genuinely held opposing views somehow find themselves caught up in an imbroglio of personal attacks and name calling – all in a totally inadequate 140 characters.

As English Pharmacy Board member Anthony Cox tweeted recently, “Twitter has become increasingly toxic to those not willing to toe some supposed consensus line. If everything [is viewed] as a personal insult/attack, it closes debate.”

Users, in pharmacy and elsewhere, need to behave responsibly and be aware of the pitfalls if they are to make the most what potentially is still a fantastic communication vehicle.

Like Johnathan Laird (@JohnathanLaird), a community pharmacist and prolific tweeter based in rural Aberdeenshire. “I’m staggered at the power of the internet and the ability to share information and opinions easily to wide and diverse audiences,” he says. “It’s quite remarkable that every time I tweet I do so now to almost 7,000 people.”

So what would he say is the most positive outcome of his foray into social media? “The biggest impact is in my professional practice, as it has allowed me to network with and meet professionals with similar interests.” Johnathan is an independent prescriber with a specific interest in respiratory medicine, so Twitter has allowed him to connect with others and seek the views of leaders in the respiratory field.

“This is a huge advantage, especially for community pharmacists who have traditionally worked in professional isolation,” he says. His advice for Twitter novices is to think carefully about how each stakeholder in your life will view your opinions or what you write. “If you are not comfortable expressing a view in your professional capacity, then don’t do it online.”

Professional benefits

Mr Dispenser (@MrDispenser)* is the anonymous tweeter and author of ‘Pills, Thrills and Methadone Spills’, who has over 10,500 followers. He also believes using social media brings professional benefits.

“The advantages are instant access to a plethora of networking and learning opportunities. I can’t imagine attending a pharmacy event and not tweeting about it before, during and after now.” And the disadvantages? “Low battery, trolls, procrastinating and company social media guidelines,” he says.

For Mr Dispenser, his engagement with social media has had a profound effect. “Twitter changed my life. I used to be a mild-mannered pharmacist who never appreciated free WiFi and a phone charger. Where else can you eavesdrop on a stranger’s conversation, join in, argue with them and leave without a punch?” he jokes.

Social media expert Marie Ennis-O’Connor, who has a special interest in the role of social media in healthcare, also believes it has many positive benefits for pharmacists. One compelling reason to embrace social media is to stay up-todate with the latest medical news and research, she says.

“Used in this way social media benefits pharmacists’ education and professional development. You can follow thought leaders, read the articles that they share, ask questions, and listen to topical and pertinent conversations that happen every day online. “Social media is a powerful communication tool with the potential to contribute to public health and patient education.”

Get involved

What all this means is that a profession that has been isolated for so long is now starting to engage more fully, discuss ideas, debate issues, answer queries and connect with colleagues. And for community pharmacists who may have very little time to attended events, it enables them to be part of an event they would otherwise have missed.

Indeed @WePharmacists facilitates frequent discussions on a range of pharmacy-related topics. Recent examples include: ‘Professionalism for patients’; ‘Can pharmacy save the NHS?’; and ‘Electronic cigarettes: their place in pharmacy’.

These discussions regularly have a Twitter reach of over one million people, so they are a good opportunity to have your say and learn from others. More significantly, perhaps, is that pharmacists are interacting with other healthcare professionals, promoting the profession, forging relationships and driving forward ideas.

Anonymous accounts

While most pharmacy users are happy to be identifiable, there are a number of anonymous pharmacist accounts, such as @MrDispenser*, Pill Man UK (@pillmanuk) and, of course, the laconic wit of @DullPharmacist with Dull Pharmacy Tweets. However, while anonymity may provide the individual with the feeling that they have some form of protection, allowing them to tweet things they wouldn’t if their name was known, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society points out that anonymity is an illusion.

“Often there are very good reasons why you filter what comes out of your mouth,” it advises. Mr Dispenser agrees. “I am terrible at the anonymous thing. My identity is the worst kept secret in pharmacy. No one can remain anonymous forever. My aim has always been to try and entertain and inform without insulting anyone.”

Join the Twitterati

So what is the key to getting followers? Generally speaking the more followers someone has, the more active they are on Twitter, and the more useful and interesting their tweets. To attract more followers you need to give people a reason to want to follow you, says Marie Ennis-O’Connor.

“You do this by consistently creating and curating useful content. Be authentic and genuine in your interactions with followers – ask questions, respond to comments addressed to you and thank people for sharing your updates. Building a social media following is an ongoing process; it is about building trust and conveying authenticity.”

Facebook facts

There is no doubt that Facebook is an excellent tool for engaging with friends, keeping in touch and sharing experiences. But is it wise for businesses, and especially pharmacies, to have a Facebook page? Social media has enabled customers to engage more readily with the businesses and services they use and can be used advantageously as part of a social media and wider marketing strategy.

However, one only has to look at the Facebook pages of any of the multiple pharmacy chains to start reeling in horror at some of the posts from disgruntled customers. Before the advent of social media, studies indicated that an unhappy customer would tell up to 20 people about their bad experience – a satisfied customer would only tell two or three people – but these days bad news is easier to spread.

You need to consider whether or not you want feedback on a public forum, whether it can positively benefit your business when you resolve issues, or whether the negative comments could be damaging. On the other hand, good news from satisfied customers also has the opportunity to reach more potential customers.

Social media policies in the workplace

Pharmacy staff may be asked to sign social media policies that will set out rules, both during and outside of working hours, says Jen Law, NPA digital strategy manager. “Such policies are helpful in clarifying what is and is not appropriate and should also spell out the consequences should a breach of policy occur. Careless posts can damage the reputation of both the business and individual members of staff.”

Get blogging

Blogs are becoming increasingly popular and there are some good examples of these among the profession. Johnathan Laird (johnathanlaird.com) started blogging about eight months ago and in that time 18,000 people have accessed his site. It hosts a wealth of blogs – mostly aimed at pharmacists and healthcare professionals.

They range from patient experiences of long-term medical conditions to working as a pharmacist in GP practices, as well as articles and personal accounts of the pharmacy profession. Blogs are a useful way to get ideas across, start debate, and inform and educate.

If you are blogging about patients and providing examples of how you helped them, you must ensure you maintain confidentiality. You cannot use any information that may enable someone to identify who you are talking about.

Maintain professionalism

Using social media can bring many personal and professional benefits but it needs to be used with caution. Separate your personal use from your professional use by having appropriate security settings and remember to consider who will be reading your posts, blogs, tweets and updates. You may be able to delete a tweet, edit a blog or change a Facebook post – but once it’s out there it may be too late.

So how can you ensure you maintain your professionalism? While the GPhC has not published any specific guidance on social media, its standards of conduct, ethics and performance are pertinent. “The professional standards expected of pharmacists do not change because you are communicating through social media. Rather, social media presents you with new circumstances to which the established principles still apply,” advises Marie Ennis-O’Connor.

“Pharmacists have a unique standing in the community that is built on trust. Always be aware of your actions and take appropriate measures to ensure your own privacy and that of patients at all times.” To date, there has been only one fitness to practise case relating to social media, concerning a registrant posting a derogatory comment on Facebook.

The GPhC published the learnings from that case in Regulate² and commented: “Social networking sites... are not appropriate forums to discuss patients. Pharmacy professionalsshould not make derogatory comments about individual patients or patient groups as these demonstrate a lack of respect and can cause unnecessary distress, impacting negatively on the profession.” In this case the registrant was issued with a letter of advice from the investigating committee reminding her of the requirement to uphold the high standards required by her profession at all times.

NHS Employers – which represents employers in the NHS – has also published guidelines on the use of social media.³ We’ll leave the final advice to Mr Dispenser. “There is no point being on Twitter if you don’t tweet. Follow and engage with your LPC, LPF, CPPE tutors and the thousands of pharmacy accounts that are out there. If you learn something new, then share. There is a good chance that others won’t know it either.”

 

 

* At the time of posting (July 25th, 2015) but after this article was submitted for publication in Pharmacy Magazine, the Twitter account of @MrDispenser appears to have been deactivated.