Medical Information Practices Across the Pharma Industry: What Can We Learn from Benchmarking Surveys?
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EDITORIAL
Medical Information Practices Across the Pharma Industry: What Can We Learn from Benchmarking Surveys? Ina Shah, PharmD1 · Izzat Janajreh, PharmD, RPh1 · Stacey M. Fung, PharmD2
© The Drug Information Association, Inc 2020
Within the pharmaceutical industry, Medical Information (MedInfo) departments provide scientific, therapeutic, and product expertise to support healthcare professionals, patients, and payers in making informed patient care decisions [1–4]. MedInfo departments play an integral role in evaluating evidence-based medicine, developing medical content, and responding to unsolicited medical information requests about a company’s product(s) by providing relevant clinical data to healthcare providers and consumers. Over the years, the role and scope of MedInfo departments have changed from early published descriptions (such as Curran’s progress report of drug information from 1970 to 2000 [1], Hopkins and colleagues 1999 benchmarking report of medical information practices [2], and a description of a core curriculum for professionals practicing in MedInfo departments described by Graves and Baker in 2000 [3]). Recent reports describe expanded activities highlighted in this special issue of Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science (TIRS). The growth and development of MedInfo practice over the years happened within a rapidly evolving and changing healthcare landscape within a highly regulated environment. Changes include increases in the number of medical inquiries, complexity of inquiry topics and therapeutic agents, expectations to provide prompt responses, digital technology advancements, and more highly educated and knowledgeable patients and caregivers. MedInfo department activities are centered on the knowledge and expertise that the personnel * Ina Shah [email protected] Izzat Janajreh [email protected] Stacey M. Fung [email protected] 1
AbbVie, 5 Giralda Farms, Madison, NJ 07940, USA
Gilead Sciences, Inc., 333 Lakeside Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
2
have relative to the product or therapeutic area. These groups perform activities throughout a product’s development and life cycle. From supporting the product via oversight of a MedInfo contact center and provision of medical information to healthcare professionals and patients to performing and/or supporting promotional material review, field medical materials development, scientific meeting support, publication planning, medical education, clinical trial recruitment, product labeling support, product dossier development, maintenance of medical information self-service websites, and participating in training of sales or other internal partners [4, 5]. In addition, the MedInfo teams are valued by internal business partners as the groups that are taking on more active roles in ensuring the clinical data integrity of promotional materials, field medical team materials, and product dossiers, as well as sharing medical and customer insights to shape medical strategy. The expansion of the roles globally also
