Medical Science Liaison Top 10 Facts
The medical science liaison role has increased a lot since the early 2000s. As a result, there are over 330,000 medical science liaisons worldwide. The medical science liaison position is one of the most sought after roles in the pharmaceutical industry.
It is a very competitive role. Pharmacists, physicians, and PhD professionals are all trying to break into the medical science liaison field. So, what exactly does a medical science liaison do and what don’t they do? In this article, we will cover the top 10 facts about Medical Science Liaisons. Let’s get started.
1 – Medical Science Liaisons do NOT have sales goals-MSLs provide objective, in-depth clinical information to healthcare providers (HCPs) with a specific focus on key opinion leaders (KOLs).
2 – Medical Science Liaisons work from home- MSLs are field based employees that work from home in a specific territory. For example, a Northeastern MSL may cover the Northeastern USA.
3 – Medical Science Liaisons usually have advanced “D” degrees-Most MSLs will have a doctorate (or terminal level) degree such as an MD, PharmD, or PhD. Many will also have completed medical residency, fellowships or a post-doctoral fellowship. Many MSLs will also be Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialists (BCMAS). Which is the official MSL board certification. Here’s a great overview by the Pharmaceutical Executive on MSL Board Certification.
4 – Medical Science Liaisons are part of a department known as Medical Affairs-The Medical Affairs department is a function within a pharmaceutical company helping to generate new clinical data as well as communicate data to KOLs and other external stakeholders.
5 – Medical Science Liaisons are disease state experts-MSL professionals usually focus in on one therapeutic area and become experts in the physiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, and their particular product’s data. They usually will also be very knowledgeable about the competitive landscape.
6 – Medical Science Liaisons positions are very competitive- For every 1 MSL opening there are approximately 200 MSL candidates. The field is growing a lot and is estimated to grow 47% over the next 5 years. Click here to read more.
7 – Medical Science Liaisons help train sales teams- MSLs help sales representatives better understand the science behind the products. MSLs may help during new hire training on continued professional development for pharmaceutical sales representatives.
8 – Medical Science Liaisons help facilitate new research with KOLs- MSLs can help bring new ideas to pharmaceutical companies by facilitating research through mechanisms like investigator initiated studies (IISs) or can identify potential investigators for Phase IIIb/IV studies. Learn more about clinical studies.
9 – Medical Science Liaisons can meet with payers – Drug pricing is a major issue in the U.S. Payers want to better understand the cost effectiveness of drugs before determining whether or not to allow them onto their formulary. MSLs often go in with health economics outcomes research (HEOR) professionals to discuss a drug’s effectiveness to help convince payers that the product should have favorable coverage.
10 – Medical Science Liaisons get to do cool projects- MSLs can do more than meet with doctors. Their managers may give them other in-house projects.
Summary
The MSL profession is a great career path for pharmacists, PhD professionals, nurses, and physicians interested in working on the business side of science. The medical science liaison profession has a bright future and will continue to grow as new specialty products continue to emerge in drug development.
Want to learn more about medical science liaisons do? Click here.