MSL in Spain: High Satisfaction and Three Drivers of Excellence

Did you know that Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) in Spain rate their overall satisfaction with the role at 8.3 out of 10… but that figure drops to 7.0 when asked if the position matches their “ideal image”? 🤔

This is one of the most revealing findings of The MSL Excellence Project, a key study initiated by AMIFE (Asociación de Medicina de la Industria Farmacéutica) and conducted by 1levelup Consulting, in which 8 pharmaceutical companies and 49 professionals (37 MSLs and 12 managers) participated.

If you lead Medical Affairs teams, here are the four realities you need to keep on your radar right now:

A highly valued role, but with room for improvement 📈

MSLs deeply enjoy their work: scientific exchange, interaction with KOLs, and making a real difference in patients’ lives are their main sources of motivation. However, some well-known challenges persist: excessive workload, a lack of internal and external recognition, and limited involvement in strategic decision-making.

Insight Management: The Big Unfinished Task 🔍

Gathering insights is a key responsibility, but the study identifies three challenges along the way:

Lack of consensus: There is no common definition of what an “insight” is.
Outdated tools: Processes that are not well standardized (Excel, Word, or CRMs not adapted to qualitative data).
Disconnection: Difficulty in turning those insights into actual strategic actions.

KPIs: An Uncomfortable Consensus 📊

Current performance metrics are not considered ideal, but they are beginning to be accepted as “the best possible” given the context. Furthermore, there is a gap in perception between MSLs and managers regarding their actual value. The challenge remains the same as always: How can we fairly measure a function that is, by nature, qualitative?

The future is already here, and it revolves around technology 🚀

Professionals themselves see their evolution as tied to the adoption of AI, omnichannel strategies, remote work, and a complete focus on Real-World Evidence (RWE). The MSL of the future will, above all, be a distinctly strategic role.

💡 The 3 Key Drivers for Advancing Toward Excellence

Based on this assessment, the report proposes three courses of action for companies:

1. Better define the role: Delineate responsibilities to reduce overlap, strengthen internal recognition, and align the professional with the company’s strategy.
Professionalize insights: Move from scattered data collection to a robust process. This involves defining the concept, classifying insights (strategic, tactical), and even creating dedicated Medical Intelligence departments.
3. Revise KPIs: Design metrics that reflect scientific impact and provide real value, going beyond purely quantitative numbers.

The underlying message is clear: In the era of precision medicine and omnichannel approaches, optimizing the role of the MSL is not a matter of changing processes; it is a cultural evolution aimed at positioning the MSL as the centerpiece of the new medical model.

💬 Do you work with MSL teams or are you part of one? Do you recognize these challenges in your day-to-day work? If you’re interested in this topic and would like to receive the PDF of the full report, you can request it through the Contact section of our website, or by sending us an email at info@1levelup.net