Evolution of Medical Affairs post-COVID-19

Before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a healthcare emergency on the March 11th, 2020, the pharmaceutical industry predominantly engaged with stakeholders through face-to-face interactions for scientific communication of pharmaceutical products. Actively engaging with healthcare providers (HCPs) not only helps the medical affairs team gather insights to develop organizational strategies but assists the market access team in preparation for new drugs and medical devices, fostering a patient-centric outlook in the pharmaceutical industry. The onset of the pandemic triggered remote work which cascaded various challenges onto the pharmaceutical industry. As the world attempts to limp back to pre-COVID-19 times by lifting travel bans and lockdowns, deliverable aspirations of medical affairs have altered as a result of COVID-19 induced challenges.

How did the pandemic affect medical affairs?

The sudden onset of the pandemic propelled the pharmaceutical industry to reassess strategic operations on clinical trials for non-COVID-19 related diseases, disrupting product launches and impacting continual care of patients with comorbidities unrelated to COVID-19. Limited in-person access of medical science liaisons (MSLs) to HCPs caused an instantaneous shift to virtual interactions, impinging upon HCP’s time who juggled between clinical care of patients, responding to pharmaceutical collaborations through MSL interactions to foster continued medical education, and dispel misinformation.

Medical affairs also encountered sparse interactive engagements at virtual interactions with HCPs, limited digital patient education tools, and evidence gaps in the dissemination of off-label drug use for COVID-19 treatment and medical information on the evolving COVID-19 landscape.?

What determines the success of medical affairs post-COVID-19?

Swiftly adapting to a pandemic-induced landscape is a vital step in bridging the pharmaceutical industry to a patient’s bedside. While preparing for a post-COVID-19 world, competencies required for successful medical affairs include:

1. Actively translating medical evidence into robust scientific narratives through virtual Continuing Medical Education (CME) platforms and tailored medical content easily accessible for cost-effective education through massive open online courses (MOOC).
2. Fostering business leadership with governmental agencies, health agencies, emergent technology companies, and start-ups through virtual, hybrid, and face-to-face interactions.
3. Accruing insights on Real-World Evidence generation using digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and health-technology assessments to generate patient-related outcomes.
4. Steering medical insights among data scientists to accelerate data generation and promote cross-functional collaborations in the healthcare ecosystem.
5. Engaging with HCPs to foster collaborative research, and remote monitoring of clinical trials to generate patient-centric evidence and communication of scientific artifacts.

Although COVID-19 caused immense loss of lives and livelihood, the onset of the pandemic spurred a digital dependency. The prominent benefits of rapid healthcare digitization are evident in the accessibility of patient-physician interaction by telemedicine and dependence on medical affairs for dispelling misinformation through innovative digital storytelling and medical communications.

In conclusion, the last 20 years have seen medical affairs transition from a traditional scientific support role to a dependable partner, actively shaping product launch roadmaps in the pharmaceutical industry and fostering consumer confidence in the healthcare ecosystem. The onset of COVID-19 accelerated the role of medical affairs as a “third strategic pillar” in achieving patient-centric outcomes and personalized medical engagements through innovation and technology.

References:

·???????Bedenkov A, Rajadhyaksha V, Beekman M, Moreno C, Fong PC, Agustin L, Odell S. Developing Medical Affairs Leaders Who Create the Future. Pharmaceut Med. 2020 Oct;34(5):301-307.

·???????Furtner D, Shinde SP, Singh M, Wong CH, Setia S. Digital Transformation in Medical Affairs Sparked by the Pandemic: Insights and Learnings from COVID-19 Era and Beyond. Pharmaceut Med. 2022 Feb;36(1):1-10.

·???????https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/a-vision-for-medical-affairs-in-2025, (Last Accessed on 12 May 2022)

·???????https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/pharma-medical-affairs-2020-and-beyond (Last accessed on 12 May 2022)

By Smrita Chaudhary, Ph.D Scientific Advisor, Neovation Consultancy Services