Open AccessMedical affairs post-COVID 19: Are we ready to take the baton?
Author(s) -
Viraj Rajadhyaksha
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
perspectives in clinical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 2229-5488
pISSN - 2229-3485
DOI - 10.4103/picr.picr_164_20
Subject(s) - veterans affairs , specialty , health care , schedule , function (biology) , covid-19 , public relations , set (abstract data type) , business , medicine , medical education , political science , family medicine , management , computer science , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , evolutionary biology , law , economics , biology , programming language
The spread of coronavirus epidemic has resulted in a change in the work schedule for Medical affairs professionals in the pharmaceutical industry. There has been an increase in virtual scientific interactions and prioritization of scientific communication. In the long term, this is likely to affect the structure and responsibilities of Medical affairs teams. New areas such as interactions with patients' groups, leading treatment access in specific channels of health-care delivery and role in specialty care are likely to be an integral part of the Medical Affairs function. Along with that, Medical Affairs teams would take a proactive role in developing platforms for real-world evidence programs and forging cross-industry partnerships. To make this successful, Medical affairs teams will have to build specialized skills such as expertise in healthcare, use of digital technology, patient engagement, and soft skills such as agility and ability to influence. The future of medical affairs is set for a major change.