Enhancing MSL Interactions with US Healthcare Practitioners

STUDY OVERVIEW
As the role of Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) continues to evolve, pharmaceutical companies are continuously re-evaluating and updating their guidelines for scientific interactions between MSLs and Healthcare Practitioners (HCPs).

This study presents insights on current MSL practices around HCP interactions in the United States; topics addressed include proactive disease presentations, unsolicited requests on clinical data and off-label uses, and group HCP presentations. There are also questions about MSL re-certification.

Leaders of pharmaceutical field medical teams can use this research to see how their approach to MSL interactions with US HCPs compares with current industry practices for scientific interactions between MSLs and US-based HCPs, including gray areas such as off-label questions and group HCP presentations.

KEY TOPICS

• Executive Summary: Methodology, Participants, & Key Findings
• MSL Interaction with US HCPs
• MSL Involvement in Proactive Disease State Education
• MSL Engagement with KOLs in Early Development Stage
• Best Practices for MSL Interactions
• Recertification of MSLs

KEY METRICS

• Are your MSLs allowed to speak/present a short overview of general information on standard of care treatment in a proactive disease presentation?
• If a HCP requests that a MSL leave behind slides from a disease state presentation, are your MSLs allowed to leave the information with the HCP?
• Upon receiving an unsolicited request, can a MSL present in a group setting clinical data on a product that is not yet approved? If you answered “no,” please indicate why? If you answered "yes," how does your organization/MSL team define a HCP group setting?
• Upon receiving an unsolicited request, can a MSL present in a group setting off-label clinical information of an approved product? If you answered “no,” please indicate why? If you answered "yes," how does your organization/MSL team define a HCP group setting?
• During a presentation to a small group of HCPs (i.e. an in-service presentation consistent with label), can your MSLs respond to off-label questions to the group? If you answered “no,” how does your MSL team handle an off-label question in a HCP small-group setting?
• At what stage of the development of a product do you allow your MSL to do proactive disease state (non-product) education? (Mark all that apply)
• How early in the development process are your MSLs actively engaging KOLs? (Please select one)
• How often do your MSLs undergo recertification?
  

• Off-label Questions in Group HCP Setting: Respondents are divided on the question of MSLs addressing off-label questions in a group setting of US HCPs. Thirty-three percent allow it outright and another 27% allow it but with stipulations. The remaining 40% do not allow it.

This study engaged 15 US medical affairs leaders from 15 world-class biopharmaceutical companies. Eighty-seven percent of the respondents are at the Director level (13); 7% at Vice President (1) and 7% at Head (1).

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