Introducing eDrugSearch.com's TOP 100 Healthcare Blogs!

eDrugSearch.com quietly launched it's TOP 100 Healthcare Blog list! Now we have a new way to learn which blogs deliver the best value to readers other than my controversial, unscientific reader survey I did a while back (get your free summary of the survey results here).

Several blogs from the Pharma Blogosphere have made the list, including

• In the Pipeline (#4)
• Pharma Marketing Blog (#11)
• PharmaGossip (#19)
• Question Authority (#24)
• Clin Psych Blog (#50)
• Eye On FDA (#54)
• On Pharma (#74)
• eDrugSearch (#87)
• Orange Book Blog (#98)
• BrandweekNRX (#99)
• Pharma's Cutting Edge (#100)

How is this listed compiled? According to the Learn the Algorithm page:

The Healthcare 100 is a global ranking of the top English-language healthcare blogs, inspired by Todd Andrlik’s popular Power 150, a list of the top English-language marketing blogs.

Our goal is to provide both bloggers and blog readers interested in all aspects of healthcare with a simple way to find the most influential blogs. We rank each blog’s influence based on a multimetric algorithm, also inspired by the Power 150.

Ranks are based on a combination of four sources:

1. Google PageRank
2. Bloglines Subscribers
3. Technorati Authority Ranking
4. eDrugSearch.com Points

Rankings are automated and updated frequently, with the date of the most recent update posted under the Healthcare 100 heading.

Cary Byrd is the mastermind behind this (learn more about Cary by listening this Pharma Marketing Talk podcast).

Notably absent from the list are several excellent Pharma Blogosphere blogs, including Pharmalot, which was recently recognized as one of The 50 Best Business Blogs by The Times of London. Maybe Ed has to add his blog manually here in order to get on the list, although I can't imagine that Cary would have neglected to do that in the first place!

Of course, all these rankings -- whether by reader survey, non-objective lists by journalists, or supposedly unbiased lists like the TOP 100 based on the wisdom of the crowds -- are flawed in one way or another.

P.S. Drug Wonks -- currently the "bad boy" of the Pharma Blogosphere (see 'Round the Sphere: Dirty Tightie Whities and Wailing on Wonks!) received "Honorable Mention) as #122 on the extended list.

'Round the Sphere: Dirty Tightie Whities and Wailing on Wonks!

Pretty soon I'm off to my son's high school graduation and there's no time to start anything productive, so I'll just make this quick post about what has caught my attention this week 'round the old Pharma Blogosphere.

First those Tightie Whities
Aside from being recognized as one of The 50 Best Business Blogs by The Times of London, Pharmalot is also recognized -- at least by me -- for sporting a great new look and crisp little graphics. I especially like the dirty tightie whities Ed Silverman used to illustrate a recent post about the problems faced by Acomplia (aka Zimulti).

Ed suggests that we invest in underwear makers. I would point out, however, that most underwear makers are in China or India and run sweatshops. Based on a recent report --- see "Drugmakers Need New Business Model" -- many pharmaceutical companies may need to offshore their business as well if they are to remain viable. "Companies must expand their pipelines by looking to countries such as India and China, where research is burgeoning, and the industry must redesign the drug development process," the report said.

Wailing on Wonks
Meanwhile, the PR Wonks at Drug Wonks are being wailed on from the left and from the right and all over the place! The funny thing is, I pointed out the Wonks conflicts of interest way back in February (see "Drug Wonks are PR Wonks"), but that tree falling in the forest made no sound.

Now you can't swing a Kitty without hitting a post dissing Pitts and or Goldberg, the 2 most prolific drug Wonks. I think CL Psych started it with the post "Welcome to the PR Machine." Since then, others have taken up the clarion call.

Most recently, Jim Edwards over at BrandweekNRX Wailed on Wonks for their attacks on Moore (see "Why DrugWonks' Campaign to Demonize Michael Moore Will Fail"). But there's much more to Jim's post than anti-Drug Wonkisms. He actually is making a point about our health insurance industry that Moore never even touched on! Read it and weep.

Peter Rost over at Question Authority went so far as to ask "Is Big Pharma Secretly Taking Over the Blog World?" It may be less of a conspiracy theory than it sounds. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal profiled a company that can improve your reputation on the Web. One method -- drown out the bad stuff with counter-content that says you're a saint! By the looks of pharmagather, that seems to be the methodology employed by Drug Wonks, which makes one small post after another all day long. Of course, Pharmalot does the same thing, so I guess one balances the other!

PhRMA Jumps on Michael Moore's Bandwagon to Tout It's Own Programs!

Poor PhRMA -- that great pharmaceutical trade association, which fights a never ending battle for believability, justice for pharmaceutical companies, and the PhRMA way! -- it so desperately needed Michael Moore to focus on the industry in his new film SiCKO that when Moore declined to take the bait (see "SiCKO is Boffo but Not Anti-Pharmaco, per se"), PhRMA is left without a whipping boy!

But that hasn't stopped PhRMA Exec VP Ken Johnson from making hay without a pitch fork as it were.

Take a look at PhRMA's "Statement on Michael Moore’s Documentary". As far as commentary on the documentary, this is just a rehash of what Ken has been saying for months, nay, years!

He starts out nicely enough with faint praise that raises our hopes for the ultimate put down sure to follow:

"Michael Moore is a very talented filmmaker, but a review of America’s health care system should be balanced, thoughtful and well-researched to pin down what works and what needs to be improved. Unfortunately, you won’t get that from Michael Moore."

Great! What's your argument in support of this accusation?

Sadly, Ken just uses that as an introduction to PhRMA's own propaganda about SCHIP and PPA. Ken laments the fact that Moore didn't even mention these programs in his movie! Boo hoo! And he also didn't mention my blog, but you don't see me crying!

Ken should have critiqued the "facts" that were actually presented in the movie rather than cry over the facts that were not included. After all, Ken did have a Hollywood "friend" give him some "pretty good blow (by blow)" (see that story here).

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