The FDA unveiled its long-awaited draft guidance on the use of social media to promote prescription drugs, but it’s not the final word on the subject. While the draft addresses a congressional mandate in the FDA Safety and Innovation Act requiring the agency to issue social media guidance by July 2014, the FDA plans to issue further guidances for drug and device manufacturers related to the Internet/social media. The seven-page draft, to be published in the Federal Register, deals with when drugmakers must submit interactive media promotions to the FDA to comply with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act.

The House passed a fiscal 2014 spending bill that boosts funding for the FDA and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Under the bill, the FDA will receive about $2.552 billion in discretionary funding, $217 million more than it received under sequestration in fiscal 2013. The agency’s total funding for fiscal 2014, including user fees, would be about $4.35 billion. The legislation also increases funding for the NIH, giving it $29.9 billion – $1 billion, or about 3 percent, more than the agency received under sequestration last year.