The Future of AI in Clinical Training: An Interview with Malcolm Beasley, CEO of PCI Medical

By Dario Priolo, Publisher of "The AI in Healthcare Monitor"

In this exclusive interview, I sat down with Malcolm Beasley, CEO and co-founding Principal of PCI Medical, to discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence in pharmaceutical sales training and clinical data presentation. With 15 years of experience producing training resources for the pharmaceutical industry and a particular expertise in oncology, Beasley offers unique insights into both the opportunities and challenges of implementing AI in this highly regulated field.

Priolo: Malcolm, thank you for joining me today. There's a lot of buzz about AI in healthcare training. What's your perspective on its potential for pharmaceutical sales training?

Beasley: Thanks for having me, Dario. You know, we're looking at AI very carefully, and while there's certainly exciting potential, we need to approach it thoughtfully. The most important thing is for the information coming out of AI to be 100% accurate. The quality control aspect is absolutely critical, and that's what we've been researching extensively before bringing any AI solutions to our clients.

Priolo: Can you tell us about any specific AI initiatives you're working on at PCI?

Beasley: We're currently working on an interesting prototype where we're training an AI system using one of our comprehensive vaccine handbooks – it's about 700 pages of validated content. The goal is to enable it to answer complex clinical questions. The early results are encouraging, but we're being very methodical about ensuring accuracy. Everything in our training resources must be supported by literature and go through proper medical and regulatory review.

Priolo: That's fascinating. How do you see AI specifically helping sales representatives and MSLs handle complex clinical data?

Beasley: Well, these roles have distinct needs. Sales representatives need to quickly grasp and communicate key clinical points, while MSLs need to master deep scientific content for detailed HCP discussions. AI could help personalize learning paths for each role. But here's the crucial point – in pharmaceutical training, every single statement has to be supported by literature and approved by medical/regulatory teams. You can't just have AI generating unchecked responses.

Priolo: What are some of the regulatory challenges you're navigating?

Beasley: The regulatory aspect is critical. When we develop training materials, they go through extensive review – sometimes with 15 people on a call, including lawyers and doctors, reviewing every word. That's why we can't just have AI generating content freely. What happens is, if pharmaceutical companies get sued, part of discovery includes examining what they trained their representatives on. That's why there's such careful oversight of training content.

Priolo: So how do you see AI being practically implemented in the near term?

Beasley: In the short term, we see AI being most valuable in areas where we can maintain strict control over the content. For instance, using AI to help organize and present pre-approved content, personalize learning paths, and maybe assist with initial content drafting – but always with human expert review. We're particularly interested in how AI might help make training more engaging and interactive while staying within compliance boundaries.

Priolo: What about the future? Where do you see this heading?

Beasley: I think we'll eventually see AI becoming more sophisticated in handling scientific content, but it will always need to work within the unique constraints of our industry. We're exploring ways AI could help with things like analyzing training effectiveness, personalizing learning experiences, and perhaps even helping to identify areas where representatives or MSLs might need additional support. But again, everything needs to be validated and compliant.

Priolo: What advice would you give to pharmaceutical companies looking to implement AI in their training programs?

Beasley: Start small and be methodical. Get regulatory teams involved early in the process – that's absolutely crucial. Focus on areas where AI can enhance rather than replace existing processes. And most importantly, maintain rigorous quality control. The promise of AI is exciting, but in our industry, accuracy and compliance can't be compromised for innovation's sake.

Priolo: Finally, what excites you most about the future of AI in pharmaceutical training?

Beasley: What excites me most is the potential to create more engaging, personalized learning experiences while maintaining the high standards our industry requires. We're seeing younger learners who are very comfortable with technology and expect more interactive, video-based content. AI could help us deliver that more effectively. But we'll always need to balance innovation with compliance and scientific accuracy.

Priolo: Thank you, Malcolm. This has been incredibly insightful.

Beasley: Thank you, Dario. It's an exciting time in our industry, and I look forward to seeing how we can thoughtfully integrate AI to enhance pharmaceutical training while maintaining the high standards our industry demands.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Malcolm Beasley is the CEO and co-founding Principal of PCI Medical, a full-service sales training company that has been producing training resources for the pharmaceutical industry for the past 15 years.