Pharma Collaboration for Transparent Medical Information (phactMI™) Benchmark Study: Results of Organizational Structure and Resourcing of Medical Information Services in Support of Building Departmental Strategies.

Background: An opportunity exists to leverage the collective insights and experiences of phactMI™ member companies on current medical information (MI) services across the pharmaceutical industry. The collective insights provide considerations for refined MI strategies and enhanced MI services. The trend of organizational structure and challenge of resourcing for MI services are key areas to support efficiency and bring value to the overall organization. Methods: Between December 2017 and February 2018, all 27 phactMI™ member companies were electronically sent a 300-question survey to support the development of MI services across the pharmaceutical industry. The survey had 9 key areas of focus, including organizational structure and resourcing. Results: All 27 companies responded to the survey. Although the 27 companies survey differed in structure and size, the MI responsibilities performed both by in-house and outsourced groups were similar with each organization. Half of the groups outsourced various responsibilities which supported the non-product roles, such as quality assurance, compliance reporting, vendor operations management, reporting/analytics, technology and digital support, content-related process work, presentation specialists, and payer and health system support. Despite the ever-changing nature of the pharmaceutical industry, most responsibilities and outsourced work by MI groups remain the same over time. Conclusion: These findings provide MI teams various options for organizational structuring and resource strategies for MI services. These results highlight the services and focus areas that MI departments can explore and support the development of additional MI services across the pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]