Pharmacists and Social Media

Social media is an online platform where users share information, photos, ideas, personal messages and other content. Some of the most popular social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, FourSquare, and LinkedIn.

As social media continues to rapidly expand and become more and more popular, the line between personal and professional online personas can easily become blurred. Therefore, without much guidance on what types of online behavior may be deemed inappropriate, pharmacists are encouraged to use the utmost care and professionalism whenever dealing with social media.

Whether posting a comment or link on Facebook, blogging or tweeting, pharmacists need to exercise professional judgment and balance the benefits social media may provide with the professional obligations and potential liabilities that may be created through social media communication. Pharmacists are held to a higher standard of professionalism than members of the public and are expected to maintain this high standard of professionalism when using social media.

Any inappropriate use of social media could result in a claim of unprofessional conduct and may prompt boards of pharmacy to investigate any such claim. The repercussions of unprofessional behavior online could be severe, not only personally, but also professionally as employment status and future job opportunities could potentially be affected.

Last year, to assist pharmacists on becoming more educated on what constitutes professional and appropriate social media behavior, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) published their own  “Statement on Use of Social Media by Pharmacy Professionals“.  ASHP “encourages pharmacy professionals working in hospitals and health systems who use social media to do so in a professional, responsible and respectful manner.” Every pharmacist is encouraged to read ASHP’s statement.

All in all, pharmacists should exercise professional judgment and adhere to the high professional and legal standards in both private and public social media communications. As health care practitioners, pharmacists are held to a higher standard of professionalism at all times, including outside the workplace. Therefore, pharmacists actively participating in social media should always use the highest degree of professionalism in their communications and ensure patient privacy is never compromised.