The medical science liaison role in Spain: A nationwide survey

CONTEXT AND AIMS: The Medical Science Liaison's (MSL's) value to the company has evolved into a more strategic role with a wide variety of responsibilities. We conducted an online survey of current MSLs nationwide to assess their profile, activity development, performance evaluation, and career development. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A 37-item survey was hosted on SurveyMonkey© and accessible from December 2018 to February 2019. The survey was open to current MSLs from different pharmaceutical companies in Spain and included questions about the participant profile, activity development, performance evaluation, and career development. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The results were expressed as valid percentages; to establish relationships between the answers to different questions, exclusion and comparison filters were used on the web platform. RESULTS: A total of 179 MSLs responded to the anonymous survey. Off-label information management (79%), relationships with key opinion leaders (76%), continuous medical training for HCPs (70%), involvement in clinical trials/investigator-initiated trials (68%), and elaboration of the National Strategy (67%) were mentioned as the top new competencies. Fifty-eight percent spend an average of 61%–80% of their time out in the field and 68% use remote interactions. Fifty-six percent did not agree that their current performance metrics are a reflection of their true value. Forty-five percent of the participants disagreed when asked if their activity is easily balanced with their personal lives. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, we believe that there is a need to consider the MSL's strategic priorities, to define metrics that accurately assess MSL performance, and to find ways to fully maximize their limited time.