The Role of Pharmaceutical Medical Information in Promotional Review: Three Benchmarking Surveys

Pharmaceutical Medical Information (MI) departments have many different responsibilities within the organization. In addition to the traditional roles of Medical Information professionals, promotional review is a growing responsibility. Three benchmarking surveys explored the role and involvement of the Medical Information department in promotional review and were conducted within a similar timeframe (2009). The surveys were designed to provide insights into current practices within the pharmaceutical industry and to characterize the function and contribution of Medical Information departments in the promotional review process. The surveys focused on promotional review in terms of types of materials reviewed, procedures, and time commitment. Most pharmaceutical Medical Information professionals surveyed reported that they participated in the promotional review process. They have a number of responsibilities as part of the promotional review process that may include reviewing promotional materials, attending formal review meetings, and serving as final medical sign-off. It was reported that the time Medical Information professionals spent on promotional review made up a substantial portion of their workload. These findings provide insights into the similarities and differences in Medical Information departments’ role in promotional review across the pharmaceutical industry. Medical Information representatives and supervisors may use these results to benchmark their involvement in promotion review, consider new practices, or address challenges within their own departments.