Field Medical Impact: Demonstrating Value Through Nuanced Measurement and Communication

Authors: Drew Macgregor & Reinhard Berkels

Contributions from: Helen Kane, Amanda Wan, Andreas Gerloff, & Mussa Arvani

The Paradox of the Modern Medical Science Liaison

The global pharmaceutical enterprise faces a profound paradox. Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) are highly credentialed experts (PhDs, MDs, PharmDs, Nurses, Pharmacists) who act as strategic scientific partners, yet the industry struggles to communicate their value. Contemporary benchmarking reveals a startling disconnect: only forty percent of organizations formally measure MSL impact. Furthermore, sixty-seven percent of medical affairs professionals find measuring MSL performance “difficult” or “very difficult,” and a mere three percent consider current key performance indicators (KPIs) “very effective”.

This failure stems from a reliance on legacy, activity-based metrics that fail to differentiate baseline operational tasks from long-term strategic impact. The industry faces an urgent imperative to redefine value demonstration, transitioning from retrospective activity tracking to prospective, patient-outcome-focused value creation.

The authors will share their personal opinions (not of any organization or affiliation) and the preparation of the text, and the visuals has been aided by AI.