Dear Readers,
It is that time of year again when we look back and reflect on all we have done and aspired to do over the past year! 2022 has been a journey through the winding trail of the recent pandemic, where we find Covid is still with us and that we have all successfully adapted to life, finding new ways to conduct business and make an impact on patient care which is central to our mission. We are at a junction in Medical Affairs that has yielded quite a transformation. The field of medical roles has dramatically expanded with a variety of new titles and a mix of activities that sync with the evolving healthcare environment.
As much as we take time to reflect on where we have been, and where we laid the groundwork to reach our current place, it is ever more vital to have keen foresight into the future of where our journey will take us in medical affairs. Learn from the past, assess the current status, and cast a vision forward into future paths. It is crystal clear that medical affairs have proven value, impact, and necessity. The role will continue to expand, and in many ways take on an even greater mission to get involved earlier in drug development, partnering with R&D to expedite clinical research that can deliver medical solutions to patients who are waiting. Medical Affairs will take on more strategic and consulting roles to offer sage advice, deeper analysis with the use of analytic techniques, mining data, and defining paths forward with a more targeted focus on essential goals. New technology will enable field medical to be more nimble and adapt with knowledge at our fingertips!
This edition of the journal speaks to readers to inspire the continued innovation, sparks of ingenuity, and advancing strategic thinking that will guide us onward to greater heights! From articles that focus on MSL competencies needed today and into the future, content on how technology can be better leveraged, and tips that take field medical to the next level, to measuring impact on engagement and how to evaluate performance, this edition spans a variety of topics that reflect where we are today in this transformation that is shaping the development of novel therapeutics with the field medical affairs role as a central, essential element in this process. I hope everyone finds pearls that will elevate field-focused efforts and allow for cross-pollinated learning on a global level.
As we move from the US Thanksgiving holiday into the winter holidays, I am grateful to so many colleagues, friends, leaders, and all those around us who have supported our growth, development, and advancement. Rising tides lift all boats together. As we share our best practices, learn from failure and find humility in this time of year, please take time to be with your family, and friends and make memories; our careers in medical affairs give us such a strong sense of purpose and yet this should be well balanced and harmonious with our need for family and down time!
Wishing everyone good health, relaxation, and the time to recharge as we take on new challenges in 2023!
Happy reading!
Cherie
Editor:
Cherie Hyder, PharmD, MSL-BC
Cherie Hyder is Syndicated National MSL Director at Syneos Health. In her previous job at Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, she supported a virtual launch of Nurtec ODT for acute migraine. She has been involved in drug development for more than 30 years, working at FDA in CDER and pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Lilly, Novartis, Solvay, and Avanir, among others. At the University of Missouri, she received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree with the intention to devote her career to pharmaceutical research. She has multiple adjunct faculty appointments and enjoys teaching opportunities.
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