Medical Science Liaison Services Excellence: Managing Internal Activities and Providing Oversight

STUDY OVERVIEW
Medical Science Liaisons are the bridge between a company's science and critical stakeholders in the marketplace. Recently, the responsibilities and services of MSLs have drawn more attention from executives due to the changing pharmaceutical environment. This study offers powerful insights that Medical Affairs leaders can use in the organization and deployment of MSLs. Additionally, this research provides information on how MSLs are targeting different customer bases and the oversight different companies provide to monitor their activities.

Specifically, Best Practices, LLC conducted this study to identify valuable insights into the organizational structure of MSLs and the level to which these MSLs provide services to different customer groups. The research explores FTE levels and span of control for MSLs as well as how they must adapt to regional idiosyncrasies. Biopharmaceutical and medical device executives can use this study to identify areas of internal weakness, as they try to globally standardized their organization of MSLs.

KEY TOPICS

• MSLs Serving Different Customer Bases (e.g., Clinical Development Groups)
• Future High Value Activities for MSLs
• MSL Organization and Structure
• Obstacles and Idiosyncrasies surrounding regional standardization

• Ranking of most valuable MSL services when serving Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Health Outcomes and Brand Team customers
• Number of groups with functional responsibility for MSL and KOL management
• Geographic span of responsibility for Medical Affairs
• Number of MSL FTEs within your organization
• Who has oversight responsibility for the MSL Function
• How do you organize and provide KOL services through MSLs
• Structures that work best to provide MSL services to Clinical Research Associates
• Approach to developing global standards for MSLs across different regions

• Medical Affairs POV -- KOLs Should Be Focus of MSLs: Medical Affairs wants MSLs to find and work with KOLs, as well as respond to unsolicited product information requests. Other highly rated activities are delivering presentations and speeches and gathering competitive intelligence
  
• Span-of-Control of 9.5-to-1 for MSLs to Managers; Of the companies that had at least 6 FTEs for any of the following groups, respondents stated that they had on average 9.5 MSL FTEs for each MSL Manager and 11 for each MSL Director.
  

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