The medical liaison field fosters collaborative relationships and facilitates the exchange of scientific information between the medical community and the company. An individual with a high level of prior real world experience but no advanced degree are still be highly successful.
Medical Liaison Responsibilities and skills of Professionals
The major objective of the medical liaison professionals is to develop professional relationships with the healthcare or pharmaceutical community by peer-to-peer contact. They facilitate investigator during clinical research from approval until completion, presentation, and publication. They provide valuable expertise in the clinical research of pharmaceutical products and assist in the development, review and follow-up of the clinical studies. They lead clinical projects to ensure that all clinical trials are conducted in compliance with the International Conference of Harmonisation Good Clinical Practice (ICH GCP) guidelines. They have to interpret clinical study data or information to educate physicians and healthcare providers on product usage. They need to critically evaluate clinical studies and understand the process of drug development. Further responsibilities include development of partnerships with opinion leaders, investigators, healthcare professionals; scientific evidence based education and communication; clinical trial activities; investigator-initiated studies; scientific research; publications of posters, abstracts, case studies and peer reviewed papers; scientific support to marketing teams and their programmes; training of team member input or attendance at medical educational programmes and advisory boards.
The medical liaisons play a pivotal role in medico marketing, facilitate late phase clinical research and pharmacovigilance, medical writing, mediate market research and product launch, training marketing and sales workforce, developing public-private opportunities, regulatory and legal responsibility. Communication and presentation, writing and problem solving, innovative thinking, commercial orientation, working independently, ability to teach and other relevant therapeutic expertise and skills are required. They should possess a scientific qualification with pharmaceutical or medical or clinical experience; ability to process, understand and communicate high standard scientific information; excellent presentation skills; strong networking capabilities; understanding of clinical development, practices and regulations; excellent networking, communication and presentation skills; aware of ethical standards, clinical regulations and industry standards; adapt to business and strategic needs; cross-functional team working capabilities and managing multiple projects.
They should be updated with the latest medical or scientific information and trends through professional and scientific meetings, seminars or conferences. Relationship building and developing good public relations for long term with both internal and external clients; problem solving or resolving problems; innovative thinking and communicating information to consumers or media; working with healthcare professionals are some of their roles. They have to establish communication between corporate medical affairs field team of sales and marketing for short and long term goals, strategies and activities.
Job opportunities in Medico-marketing / Medical Liaison
A medical liaison professional with positions of managers, advisors, directors, etc. fulfil their responsibilities in delivering information on new research developments, therapeutic approaches and clinical trial activities. Their job involves maintaining and cultivating relationships with academic leaders or researchers; attending conferences, seminars and talks; presenting pharmaceutical product information to various teams and marketing new therapeutic products to healthcare providers.
With a relevant educational background, professionals get a medical science liaison (MSL) job or medical communications role in medical affairs field of scientific advisors and medical information officer. They are a field based consultant having non sales resources and spending time travelling, meeting with key opinion leaders (KOLs) of healthcare professionals. They have the scientific background and expertise to educate or explain information related to drugs and treatments. They are highly educated experts in therapy area and articulate highly scientific information with excellent presentation skills. A medical degree is required because the nature of interactions requires the knowledge in their therapeutic area.
Scientific advisors are expert in ability to build relationships and impart knowledge to personnel within the scientific or medical community. They are experts in scientific and technical information providing internal support to medical, marketing and sales teams. They research medical information, answer customers queries and record adverse events.
Medical advisor is a starting point to move into medical affairs and unlike MSLs they are not field-based. Medical advisor have office based administrative jobs of medical marketing. MSLs interested in less travel usually have a career move for an office based role. The requirement of an advanced degree is important to assist sales or marketing teams with medical or scientific strategy planning.
MSL manager or medical manager or directors occupy top position in medical affairs. Medical manager have most senior positions to oversee all medical affairs of managing MSLs team, ensuring high standard personnel training, assigning team to therapeutic areas and aligning appropriate medical strategies. MSL manager presents product and treatment related information to healthcare providers. MSL managers need to be updated on medical information by attending relevant meetings, seminars and conferences and also assist in medical or marketing strategies. They attend global meetings, manage MSL strategy, help develop new therapy, reply to enquiries and provide technical or scientific expertise on branding products. MSL manager should have leadership skills to successfully manage the MSL team. At this level, they are medical affairs professionals and act as final signatory with extremely advanced scientific knowledge and experience in networking.
Online Course in Medico-marketing (Medical Affairs)
James Lind Institute (JLI) provides an online program – Professional Diploma in Medico-Marketing provide better medical liaison job opportunities.
For more information please visit: www.jli.edu.in