Medical Affairs in The Post-COVID-19 Environment.

COVID-19 undoubtedly had a profound influence on businesses and economies across the globe. ¹ Nowhere greater was that impact felt than within the pharmaceutical industry. Critical Pharma business units had to rapidly adjust operations while Medical Affairs organizations, with their geographically-distributed field teams, were blindsided by the wave of crippling restrictions preventing routine in-person interactions. MSLs and their managerial teams sat idle for months during the initial wave of the pandemic, and a plethora of mid-level executives and directors guiding these teams were increasingly marginalized by the now ever-present virtual environment.

Routine Health Care Professional (HCP) engagement, which had been historically successful, became obsolete overnight, and in a necessary attempt to address this deficiency, new management strategies for these these field-based teams were developed. Uncovered during this period of transition was a slew of previously unidentified deficiencies and flaws from traditional relationship MSL interaction models. Typical methods of enumerating MSL interactions were no longer relevant, nor were they able to place a meaningful value on those interactions.

What also emerged from the pandemic was a culture of fear. It is difficult to appreciate how immobilized our industry was only 18 months ago. Vaccination status and nasal swabs became the new MSL metric. Shaking hands with a colleague was taboo. Traveling to headquarters or holding in-person team meetings became a legal liability. Masks hid our true expressions, and with it, our ability to effectively communicate. It was challenging to foresee a suitable substitute for face-to-face interactions. We knew little about the long-term effectiveness of digital learning platforms and moreover, there was critically little data demonstrating the true impact of virtual interactions. ² The nuances and subtle benefits that face-to-face interactions provide are immeasurably important, and we believe the reality is that virtual interactions during a Zoom or Teams meeting won’t build rapport, engender trust, or stimulate ideas.

However, what emerged from this COVID-19 chaos was a tremendous opportunity including; the opportunity to critically evaluate and streamline teams, improve messaging, build in desperately needed efficiencies, discard superfluous activities and eschew “feel-good” internal exercises, and the opportunity to better understand the HCPs core educational needs. It also became clear that a decentralized model of assigning MSL to HCPs was no longer necessary, and that project-based work spanning a geography, agnostic to a specific region, was preferable. The complexities inherent to large field-based teams were becoming increasingly obsolete, and it became clear that the most skilled and seasoned Medical Affairs professionals were best able to build, manage and maintain relationships in this new environment.

The pandemic also accelerated an unexpected but necessary digital transformation in the pharmaceutical industry. Through the pandemic, three Medical Affairs key strategic imperatives held strong: HCP engagement, external partnerships, and data generation. However, the digital expansion of data analytics, virtual insight generation, and healthcare economics aligning with those imperatives have become of greater importance. Value-based engagement that includes these new parameters along with establishing a strong medical narrative in messaging is critical. ³ To remain relevant in the face of continuous disruptions, pharma companies must move away from traditional field methods to optimize HCP engagement. Astute leadership understands the unique challenges in virtual engagement and how to develop quality interactions that promote lasting partnerships.

Sophisticated Medical Affairs organizations that understand how to operate effectively in this changing industry are well positioned to lead and innovate. It may no longer be necessary for a company to be burdened with the complexities and costs of recruiting, hiring and maintaining long-term employees to operate within complex field Medical Affairs teams. At Arcsula Health, our experience has taught us that the most effective interactions come from the use of seasoned healthcare professionals that appreciate the value of an HCP’s time, understand importance of succinct messaging, and can draw upon real-world knowledge from years practicing in clinical and pharma-focused sectors.

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