Due to the nature of field medical teams being spread across the country, Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) were already accustomed to working virtually with field colleagues and headquarters. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the boundaries of the virtual environment to now include virtual engagements with external thought leaders. Now with over a year of virtual scientific … [Read more...]
Working with Internal Stakeholders in a Virtual Setting
As the pandemic drags on, many of us have chosen to move on. Whether out of choice or out of necessity, we’ve taken on new opportunities and moved our MSL careers forward despite the limitations of being virtual. Engaging with health care providers (HCPs) is the “bread and butter” of the MSL, and lots of great advice has been shared on how to excel at this in a virtual … [Read more...]
What Makes An Engaging Medical Science Liaison In The Current Environment?
Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) have evolved to become a critical component of the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts in product awareness, acceptance, and adoption. Although the measures of success continue to evolve, MSLs continue to have a significant impact on internal and external stakeholders through their expert knowledge of the clinical landscape. Why have MSLs evolved … [Read more...]
Virtual relationships with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs): Insights from the COVID-19 scenario
The COVID-19 pandemic has represented a 180 degrees’ flip in the way professional relationships are approached between the Pharma industry and HCPs. Consequently, the MSL role has inevitably been impacted by this change of scenario, which has challenged the capacity of self-transformation and adaptation of the ones occupying this position. Especially, the relationships with … [Read more...]
The Shift: How the MSL Role and Responsibilities Have Changed
To educate and to inform. In modern society, those are the pillars of the Medical Science Liaison’s objectives. MSLs keep the Key Opinion Leaders apprised of what is emerging in the drug development pipeline. They also answer any questions that may arise. MSLs strive to obtain key information from KOLs and HCPs, but they also can help explain therapies and answer potential … [Read more...]
Working Successfully with A Recruiter
It is hot. No, not the summer heat but the MSL/Medical Affairs job market. The value of the MSL role was highlighted during the stay-at-home orders of the pandemic when MSLs were able to gain and maintain access to physicians. Despite the pandemic, physicians still had patients to treat and still needed the latest scientific data to guide their treatment decisions. … [Read more...]
Medical Affairs: Reevaluating “Business as Usual” after COVID
For 13 months COVID-19 has dominated every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Now as vaccinations in large numbers are a reality (at least in some countries) and people are eager to put this challenging time behind them, we will need to ponder the question of what we learned from this pandemic and whether anything good will come out of it. Here, we take a look at … [Read more...]
Work life harmony; not just for today, but for the long haul
Before the pandemic, remote work for you was largely intentional. After all, when you choose a position that allows you to travel and work from home, you can build remote work around the rest of your life—and vice versa. However, suddenly you had to contend with all kinds of new circumstances. Whether it was kids home from school (who either needed help with online classes … [Read more...]
MSL Evolution: New Trends and Titles That May Emerge
The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly had a profound impact on Field Medical Affairs. Has the Medical Science Liaison role changed forever? What new titles, trends, and opportunities might emerge as a result of the new age for Field Medical and the evolution of the Medical Science Liaison? Is virtual engagement truly here to stay? While the jury is still out on what percentage of … [Read more...]
I need to be a “Super-Human MSL” now – how?
Medical Affairs teams have been challenged in the last year with the demise of face-to-face meetings as well as the inability to engage with their healthcare providers (HCPs) and key opinion leaders (KOLs) at scientific congresses. In addition, they have had to adapt to remote interactions and adopt new digital technologies to be able to function at their jobs. Working remotely … [Read more...]
The MSL Role Evolved
As the world witnessed a global change with the Covid-19 pandemic, Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) saw their role evolve beyond its more traditional definition and scope. When countries went into complete lockdown and pharmaceutical industries needed to find new ways to keep interacting and engaging with their customers, MSLs, as the experts in everything science and as … [Read more...]
The Virtual Reality: Tips for Making the Most of Conference Attendance in 2021 and Beyond
Scientific conferences are an essential tool for any Medical Science Liaison. They offer a convenient and efficient way to engage with KOLs and provide an influx of new data for insight generation. But the nature of these events has changed drastically in the last year. As we look with hope to the post-pandemic future, what can we expect? What will conferences look like for … [Read more...]
Work Life Balance
Work-life balance is something that frequently is discussed in the pharmaceutical industry. With the rapid development of therapies and constantly evolving research across therapeutic areas, it becomes easy, almost addictive, to “burn the candle at both ends.” Over time, this will just result in burn out which doesn’t do your company or yourself any good. To be on top of your … [Read more...]
The Medical Ecosystem Regional Plan: An Introduction
Why do we need regional medical plans? The role of an MSL is to establish and maintain strong peer-to-peer relationships with leading, influential healthcare providers, referred to as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) within a given therapeutic area with the intent to provide ongoing medical support, education, and resources that benefit patients. The MSL role has evolved over the … [Read more...]
The New-New Normal: How to Transition Back to the Field Smoothly!
The covid 19 pandemic may seem like it began ages ago, yet it was just about 16 months since the pandemic began to shut down MSL travel and led us to sequester in our homes until we could find a way to get through this contagion period. As we now move toward re-opening of businesses, face-to-face meetings, and get back to regular field travel, we are again in a critical time … [Read more...]
MSL Performance Metrics: Valuing the Role Through Product’s Lifecycle & Digitalization
MSL Performance Metrics have been a dilemma for the last decade or so. Many studies have been conducted to rethink the evaluation of the Medical Science Liaison function, I’ve personally conducted one on “The relation between the tracking/reporting system for MSLs in medical affairs departments in pharmaceutical companies located within the MENA region and its impact on the MSL … [Read more...]
A Decade in Review: Changes in Temporal and Regional Interest in the Medical Science Liaison Role
Following the inception of the medical science liaison (MSL) role by Upjohn Pharmaceuticals in 1967, growing demand for MSLs in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostic, and medical device companies has persisted.1 One of the core responsibilities of any MSL is to serve as an important public resource of scientific and clinical knowledge for their employers.2 To this end, MSLs … [Read more...]
Nutrition Science and the Art of Eating
Nutrition is science often clouded by opinion, dogma, and trends. Nutrients and diet patterns certainly affect health outcomes but the ideal dietary rubric for significantly better outcomes is hotly contended. Popular media amplifies confusion with sound bites and quick fixes that over-simplify highly nuanced information. An evaluation of scientific publications or … [Read more...]
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