While many companies want to evaluate MSLs on traditional sales model performance metrics, top-performing teams use compliance concerns to implement more appropriate measures
Regulatory Compliance Drives Top Medical Science Liaison Teams to Demonstrate Their Internal Value
<0> Cutting Edge InformationElio Evangelista, +1-919-403-6583 </0>
Proving a medical science liaison (MSL) team’s value to internal stakeholders continues to be a top challenge for medical affairs teams, according to a newly published study from Cutting Edge Information. Too often, in fact, drug companies rely on inappropriate measurements to track .
The MSL role’s scientific nature separates the liaison team’s objectives and performance from other teams’ more easily measured performance. Commercial teams, for example, can appropriately tie their activities to revenue returns. But applying similar metrics to liaison activities is unethical and simply does not work.
Cutting Edge Information’s recent study, “MSL Activities and Performance Measurement: Harnessing KOL Relationships for Optimal Clinical Support,” recommends that MSL teams must break away from these traditional commercial-oriented metrics to truly showcase their skills and contributions to the company’s goals. Study data shows that 75% of surveyed MSL teams support commercial teams in several ways. However, compliance guidelines clearly separate the scientific MSL team from their commercial counterparts.
“There’s no denying that MSL activities eventually indirectly support brand teams,” said Elio Evangelista, Director of Operations at Cutting Edge Information. “But drug companies have only recently come around to the idea that liaisons deserve to be measured on softer, more anecdotal successes that accurately reflect their contributions to the company.”
The study found that established and mature MSL teams have learned how to demonstrate their internal value to the company while avoiding traditional hard metrics. Instead, these teams focus on the content of their interactions with thought leaders. Quality incentives allow MSLs to steer clear of conversation about commercial topics including prescription rates and .
“MSL Activities and Performance Measurement: Harnessing KOL Relationships for Optimal Clinical Support,” , examines MSL teams’ performance measurement systems at many of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies. The report is designed to help medical affairs executives:
For more information about Medical Science Liaisons and medical affairs, contact Elio Evangelista at 919-403-6583.