The Changing Roles of Medical Communications Professionals: Evolution of the Core Curriculum

Abstract

This article provides an update to the published instructor's notes for the Core Curriculum tutorial presented annually at the Drug Information Association medical communications workshop. The original publication has become the foundation for training individuals new to industry-based drug information practice. This update to the Core Curriculum publication describes the evolving role of medical communications professionals, highlighting changes from the original publication that impact the core role of a medical communications professional as well as describing new activities.

Medical communications departments play a role throughout a product's development and life cycle. They serve both external customers and internal business partners with various services. This article reviews these customers and partners and highlights various activities that medical communications can be involved in such as promotional review, scientific meeting support, training, product labeling support, publication planning, medical education, clinical trial recruitment, and postmarketing clinical communications (including Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy dossier development). Additional support of postmarketing programs includes involvement with safety risk management, field-based medical groups (medical liaison teams), and training.