Accreditation Standards for Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Certification Programmes in Japan: A Viewpoint from the Japanese Association of Pharmaceutical Medicine (JAPhMED)

Abstract

A medical science liaison (MSL) is a field-based professional with advanced training and academic degrees, who focuses on moving forward standards of care and optimising patient outcomes, and also maximising the value of medical products. Recently, in the pharmaceutical industry in Japan, the role and function of MSLs have been rapidly evolving and are attracting increasing importance not only in corporate strategy but also in their acceptance by health care professionals. However, there is variability in individual company MSL training programmes and how to certify their knowledge and skills across the industry in Japan. Lack of standardised training and assessment of MSL capabilities may threaten the robustness and proper expansion of the MSLs’ role, and raises the question of the need to define a set of minimum and common standards among corporate MSL certification programmes. As a solution to this issue, the Japanese Association of Pharmaceutical Medicine (JAPhMED), whose mission is to promote pharmaceutical medicine by enhancing the knowledge, expertise and skills of pharmaceutical professionals, undertook to define and put into practice accreditation standards for corporate MSL certification programmes. For accreditation standards for MSL certification programmes, three domains were considered in establishing the evaluation standards: (1) independence from promotional activities (compliance structure); (2) medical and scientific expertise (skills and competencies); and (3) the educational system (education and training). On the basis of these standards, JAPhMED has started to implement accreditation of corporate MSL certification through an evaluation process comprising system and field audits. In conclusion, a set of accreditation standards for MSL certification programmes is now available for use and can serve as a useful guide for development of MSL programmes in pharmaceutical and related companies.