According to Cutting Edge Information's Research, OIG Guidelines Hasten Medical Affairs' Shift to Dedicated Departments and Budgets

Many pharmaceutical companies have restructured their medical affairs departments in an effort to ensure OIG compliance, according to a report by Cutting Edge Information. According to Medical Affairs: Delivering Strategic Value, the percentage of medical affairs departments housed under marketing departments has decreased from 43% to 7% since 2002 (www.pharmamedicalaffairs.com). Instead, medical affairs is now a wholly dedicated department at many companies.

any of these departments are now receiving dedicated budgets as well, allowing additional independence and an opportunity for medical affairs to focus resource allocation on projects that further the companies' scientific objectives. Over two-thirds of surveyed companies provide medical affairs departments with dedicated budgets, with the remaining companies channeling medical affairs funding through other departments such as research and development, marketing, commercial or business development.

"Companies are completing their overhauls of medical affairs, and many medical affairs departments are becoming comfortable with their new oversight and responsibilities," says research manager Elio Evangelista. "Even so, compliance remains a topic of much discussion, and these companies are making compliant practices a top priority."

According to Cutting Edge Information, medical affairs compliance has become an area of concern, both within the companies themselves and among public advocacy groups and state and national legislative bodies. While the boundaries put in place by OIG have changed the way that medical affairs operates in many of these companies, further legislation threatens to increase reporting standards and regulations on interactions between doctors and pharmaceutical employees.

edical Affairs: Delivering Strategic Value was designed to explore pharmaceutical companies' medical affairs structures, resources and strategies. Based on interviews with industry executives, the report provides several best practices, which detail how leading companies adapt and thrive commercially while still remaining compliant. The study offers strategies for how medical affairs teams can improve internal communication and coordination, as well as negotiate effectively for additional resources. Download a complimentary brochure for the study or purchase the report at: www.pharmamedicalaffairs.com.