How to Create the Most Impact in Medical Affairs: The 80/20 Rule

As the bridge between scientific innovation and clinical application, the role of Medical Affairs (at least as it’s intended) is multifaceted and dynamic, involving medical strategy, external stakeholder engagement, internal collaboration, creation of new data and the dissemination of scientific knowledge.

Given the potential breadth of responsibilities, if we’re going to have the impact we seek, it’s critical to focus on the most impactful things we do each day.

Fortunately, the 80/20 rule applies here…

From our observations of countless Medical Affairs individuals and departments over the years, it appears that 80% of the effectiveness of Medical Affairs professionals is derived from 20% of their efforts.

The interesting part is that these critical efforts don’t necessarily reside where you might expect them to, but in behaviours that anyone can learn and employ in their day-to-day.

Our conclusion: 80% of the value of Medical Affairs is tied to the following four pivotal behaviours of Medical Affairs team members: proactivity, knowledgeability, commercial astuteness and connectivity (both internal and external).

Excellence in Medical Affairs demands a proactive approach rather than a reactive one.

The key here is to understand the most pressing needs of the product and the business and then figure-out what you and your medical colleagues can do to address these needs.

Spend time bottoming-out what the highest pain-points are that need solving, look into your medical toolbox and propose some ideas about how you can help overcome them, and then deliver on those plans.

At the heart of Medical Affairs excellence is deep scientific knowledge combined with industry awareness. A strong understanding of disease states, treatment paradigms, regulatory frameworks and competitor landscapes is essential.

But knowledgeability is not just about knowing the science – it is about communicating it effectively.

The ability to translate clinical data into compelling narratives that resonate with different audiences, from physicians to payers, is a key differentiator. Furthermore, staying updated on regulatory changes and real-world evidence ensures that Medical Affairs professionals remain trusted and authoritative sources of information.

Great Medical Affairs writers tailor their content to their audience:

When creating content for the medical community, you should keep language precise, avoiding oversimplification, but ensuring clarity. Cite peer-reviewed studies and real-world evidence, effectively translating science into clinical relevance – how will your findings impact patient care and clinical decision making? For the medical community, include abstracts, summaries and visual data where possible.
When creating content for internal stakeholders, communication needs to be balanced. Align your messaging with commercial, R&D and regulatory goals, making sure to explain how data impacts commercial objectives and market positioning. Here, you’re looking for an angle that will help differentiate your treatment in a potentially crowded market.
When creating content for external stakeholders, things get a little more complicated. If you’re writing for regulators, stick to precise, evidence-based and guideline-compliant submissions (reports, briefing documents, etc.); for payers, emphasise cost-effectiveness; for patient advocacy groups, use patient-centric language and real-world stories, where possible.
When creating content for mixed audiences (medical congresses, advisory boards and publications), you’ll need to layer your communications. Start with a concise, high-level summary, then provide more detail. Graphs, infographics and summaries help complex data to stand out. In these instances, it’s important that you highlight the relevance of your publication to different stakeholders within the same piece.

Commercial astuteness means recognising the impact of medical decisions on business outcomes.

Understanding market dynamics, competitor strategies and the commercial lifecycle of pharmaceutical products allows Medical Affairs teams to add strategic value beyond scientific expertise.

A commercially aware Medical Affairs team helps shape product differentiation, aligns scientific narratives with business needs without compromising ethical and regulatory standards, and helps keep the cross-functional team aligned behind the integrated product strategy.

Effective Medical Affairs professionals are superbly well-connected both internally and externally.

Externally, they build and nurture relationships with Key External Experts (KEEs), academic researchers, healthcare providers and patient advocacy groups. These connections are vital for gathering insights, disseminating scientific information and driving real-world evidence generation.

When someone in the business needs to speak to an external stakeholder, it should be Medical Affairs brokering the discussion.

Internally, Medical Affairs should foster strong cross-functional collaborations with R&D, marketing, sales, regulatory and market access teams. This internal influence allows Medical Affairs teams to shape product development, launch strategies and lifecycle management decisions.

Conclusion: Focusing on High-Impact Behaviours

The most effective Medical Affairs professionals do not simply work harder – they work smarter by focusing on the key behaviors that drive the greatest impact.

By being

Proactive
Highly knowledgeable
Commercially astute
Well-connected

Medical Affairs teams can maximise their effectiveness, influencing both scientific progress and business success.

Excellence in Medical Affairs is not (just) about the quantity of work, but about the strategic application of effort in ways that create meaningful value for patients, healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

At LUCENT, we provide world-class Medical Affairs support. It’s our job to help your teams to develop strategic business acumen, scientific credibility and operational excellence. Get in touch with our specialist team today to learn more about how we help Medical Affairs teams to excel.

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