2019-07-09-Noticia-FAR-Raquel Pinacho

Raquel Pinacho is a graduate of Master's Degree in research, development and Medication Innovation (MIDI). Since then she has been working in the Pharmaceutical Industry; and for the last nine months she has been working asMedical Science Liaison(MSL), a position that did not exist just five years ago.

What does your work consist of?

It consists of establishing links with opinion leaders by providing high-value scientific evidence, as well as supporting the clinical development behind each new drug. The ultimate goal is to ensure a constant update of the academic community, as well as a safe and effective use of drugs.

How do you value the time you have been working as MSL?

I am very positive about these months in the MSL role. I am in a therapeutic area (hematology) in which I am learning and enjoying a lot. One of the aspects that I like the most about this position is the possibility of having a changing and challenging day-to-day.

Why do you think it is a necessary and in-demand position today?

Currently, the pharmaceutical industry is in a moment in which more and more transparency is demanded in communication together with high standards of compliance. This makes the figure of the MSL strategic to provide value as an interlocutor, carrying out a scientific approach away from the promotional nature.

In addition, drugs today are much more complex, there is more value behind them and this added to the large volume of current scientific information makes the MSL position itself as a figure core topic providing the most relevant scientific evidence and helping to identify in each case the best therapeutic decision and the most adapted to each patient.

At what point did you decide to focus your degree program, how did the training received at MIDI help you to decide?

When I entered MIDI it was not clear to me whether I was more interested in the early, intermediate or late stages of the drug development .

As I went through Master's Degree I gained a more comprehensive view of the path that each molecule goes through during the long process of research and development and I realized that I was more interested in the stages closer to the commercialization of the drug, as well as in the new forms of communication with other parties involved.

At the end of Master's Degree I had the great opportunity to start my career as an intern at department Medical GSK. There I was able to gain experience and learn more about the figure of the MSL.

How do you financial aid on a daily basis the training received at Master's Degree?

The figure of the MSL, as I have already mentioned, provides great value to academic community but also has a very important internal role, providing value within the company. This is because the MSL interacts with various Departments (clinical trials, market access, registries, pharmacovigilance, etc). MIDI provided me with an overview to be able to integrate what each department does and how they can interrelate with each other.