EU MSL Excellence: Optimizing alignment and assessment for European field medical operations

STUDY OVERVIEW

The regulatory and cultural dynamics of European countries shape how pharmaceutical companies utilize their MSLs in EU thought leader interactions. Likewise, regional differences should affect how companies structure and align their MSL teams as well as assess MSL productivity.

Best Practices, LLC conducted this EU-focused study to help pharmaceutical leaders understand how peer pharma companies structure and align their MSL teams. The study also provides reliable region and country-level field medical metrics on MSL productivity, efficiency, KOL and key account targeting, interaction frequency, communication and tools, skills and background.

Critical MSL alignment and assessment questions addressed in this study include:

• Organizational structure
• Field team alignment
• Field team productivity and efficiency
  
  KEY TOPICS
  
• Executive Summary
• Aligning MSLs: Structure, reporting and organizational support
• Assessing MSLs: Capacity, KOL targeting and engagement
  

• MSL structure – All regions and European countries
• Reporting relationship between the MSLs in each country and global Medical Affairs organization – All regions, EU countries
• Interview narratives around country-aligned (local and global) reporting structure and model
• MSL direct reporting outside of global Medical Affairs – All regions and EU countries
• Average MSL time spent per week on each of the listed activity areas
• Number of thought leaders supported per MSL – All regions and EU countries
• Thought leader tier breakdown for a typical MSL in Europe
• Approximate number of HCPs (i.e., not on thought leader target list) engaged by each MSL in the past 12 months
• Total large key accounts (hospitals, care networks or academic institutions) served by each MSL in Europe and EU countries
• Average time spent by MSLs in each face-to-face thought leader interactions (in minutes) – All regions
• Average frequency of MSL interactions with each kind of thought leader in Europe and EU countries
• Percentage of proactive vs. reactive MSL interactions – All regions and EU countries
• Frequency of proactive MSL interaction types – All regions
• Effectiveness of communication channels in Europe for MSL interactions with thought leaders
• MSL professional backgrounds and experience
• Actual work experience vs. effective work experience of MSLs for engaging thought leaders in high quality scientific discussions and building long-term relationships
• Average years of MSL experience in each region
  

• Effectiveness: F2F constitutes just 65% of interactions but remains the gold standard, with most seeing virtual as a complement rather than a kind of replacement. European MSLs boast more tenure than other MSLs (7 yr-avg in UK, 6 in Germany). “Scientist” background is most prevalent among MSLs, and that along with “physician” is most esteemed. Local culture and differences in physician demand can play a huge role in approach and effectiveness: UK KOLs prefer deep science-based conversations, southern European HCPs prize F2F exchange and tolerate/value role of sales rep, etc.

Best Practices, LLC engaged 125 Global Medical Affairs and Field Medical Excellence leaders from more than 40 leading pharma and biotech companies in this research through a benchmarking survey. In-depth interviews were conducted with 8 benchmark partners to gain further insights.

Industries Profiled:
Health Care; Pharmaceutical; Diagnostic; Biotech; Manufacturing; Consumer Products; Medical Device; Chemical; Biopharmaceutical; Clinical Research; Laboratories


Companies Profiled:
Abbott; Alexion Pharmaceuticals; Allergopharma; Amgen; AstraZeneca; Bayer; Biogen; Bioventus; Boehringer Ingelheim; Celgene; Chiesi; Clovis Oncology; Dr Reddy's Laboratories; Eisai; Galderma; GE Healthcare; Gedeon Richter ; Gilead Sciences; Grifols; Ipsen; Janssen; Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals; Kyowa Kirin; Merck Serono; Merck; Novartis; Pfizer; Rakuten Medical; Roche; Sandoz; Sanofi; Lupin; Shire; Takeda Pharmaceuticals; Sunovion; UCB Pharma; Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Vifor Pharma; ViiV Healthcare

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