Pharma Medical Science Liaison Outreach Shifting Away from Traditional Company Sales Regions

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the support of Key Opinion Leaders clearly linked to success in the marketplace, competition for the time and attention of KOLs is intensifying. But the changing regulatory and access environment has altered the landscape for creating and maintaining KOL and physician relationships.

To help biopharma organizations navigate this new KOL landscape, Best Practices, LLC has published an updated MSL-focused report that highlights the optimal size, mix and service frequencies of these elite medical specialists.

The 78-page report, "Medical Science Liaisons: Gaining Access and Forging Relationships with Key Opinion Leaders (Updated for 2011)," presents 2011 data compared to data gathered in 2009 on an array of critical questions that provide insights into how MSLs can build strong, productive relationships with KOLs and physicians.

One of the emerging trends in 2011 involves a change in how MSLs are deployed in the field.  According to the study:

• Benchmarked companies appear to have shifted away from aligning MSLs to reflect a sales region or geographic distribution. Companies have moved towards deploying based on the concentration of KOLs in a given area; 79% of companies deploy along this model.

With interviews and key insights drawn from 27 leaders at 24 leading bio-pharmaceutical companies, this Best Practices, LLC benchmarking study identifies a wealth of strategies and proven tactics that helps Medical Affairs and other executives to effectively determine the optimal number of liaisons, mix of responsibilities, number of interactions and span of control that are critical to build strong and productive relationships over the life of a brand.

The full 78-page report contains more than 600 benchmark metrics and scores of executive narratives that companies can use to benchmark key management factors reflecting size, service levels and roles of Medical Science Liaisons in serving KOLs and hard-to-see physicians.

Key topics of this primary research include:

• Benchmark pre and post-launch service activities
• Identify drivers of group size & focus
• Gain insight into structuring & aligning medical with sales organizations
• Identify optimal call frequencies and service levels with thought leaders
• Budget allocation to MSL function  

To learn more about the study, download a complimentary summary at http://www.best-in-class.com/rr1107.htm.

For more information, contact Cameron Tew, Executive Director of Research and Publishing at Best Practices, LLC at (919) 767-9246 or [email protected].

BEST PRACTICES, LLC conducts work based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of world-class companies. Best Practices, LLC has been a leader in pharmaceutical research and consulting for more than 17 years; our clients include 48 of the top 50 pharmaceutical companies.

SOURCE Best Practices, LLC

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