Pharmaceutical publication planning
Encyclopedia
Pharmaceutical publication planning is the activity of planning the dissemination of scientific and clinical data on a drug
to healthcare professionals at scientific congresses and medical society meetings and in peer review
ed medical journals. In manner analogous to political lobbying agencies, since respected health journals are influential in decisions of physicians and other health care professionals, the purpose of pharmaceutical publication planning is to ensure medical professionals are convinced to purchase products created by clients of publication planning agencies.
s, pharmacist
s, nurses, as a drug undergoes clinical trial
s and after it is marketed
. Because of scientific and therapeutic advances, pharmaceutical publication planning has become a well-established and important function by pharmaceutical companies in order to educate healthcare professionals accordingly about new drugs and marketed drugs with new clinical uses
or safety
information.
Within pharmaceutical companies, publication planning is usually overseen by medical or clinical affairs professionals. In this effort, pharmaceutical companies frequently use the assistance of medical communication agencies with publication planning expertise and professional medical writers
.
client, medical communication agencies employ professional publication strategists, scientific medical directors, medical writers and project managers. Working as a team, this group of individuals delves deep into their client's scientific discoveries, and propose the most effective and efficient ways to spread the word about new potential therapies to physicians and other healthcare providers.
There has been some discussion in the media
regarding disclosure as it pertains to the use of professional medical writers
in this endeavor. Some agencies and professional organizations focused on publication planning have been and continue to develop and refine ethical
guidelines and standards for disclosure and transparency.
of individuals involved with pharmaceutical publication planning, as well as to promote standards of excellence in ethical professional medical writing and the biomedical publication process in disseminating scientific and clinical data on pharmaceutical products.
In 2009, ISMPP began a certification program for publication planning professionals.
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
to healthcare professionals at scientific congresses and medical society meetings and in peer review
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
ed medical journals. In manner analogous to political lobbying agencies, since respected health journals are influential in decisions of physicians and other health care professionals, the purpose of pharmaceutical publication planning is to ensure medical professionals are convinced to purchase products created by clients of publication planning agencies.
Procedure
Pharmaceutical publication planning involves developing a detailed plan that outlines the timely presentation of verified scientific and clinical data to appropriate types of healthcare professionals such as physicianPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s, pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
s, nurses, as a drug undergoes clinical trial
Clinical trial
Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
s and after it is marketed
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
. Because of scientific and therapeutic advances, pharmaceutical publication planning has become a well-established and important function by pharmaceutical companies in order to educate healthcare professionals accordingly about new drugs and marketed drugs with new clinical uses
Clinical significance
In medicine and psychology, clinical significance refers to either of two related but slightly dissimilar concepts whereby certain findings or differences, even if measurable or statistically confirmed, either may or may not have additional significance, either by being of a magnitude that conveys...
or safety
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
information.
Within pharmaceutical companies, publication planning is usually overseen by medical or clinical affairs professionals. In this effort, pharmaceutical companies frequently use the assistance of medical communication agencies with publication planning expertise and professional medical writers
Medical writing
Medical writing is the activity of producing scientific documentation by a specialized writer. The medical writer typically is not one of the scientists or doctors who performed the research....
.
Medical communication agencies
Medical communication agencies include a broad range of organizations, including those that focus largely or exclusively on publication planning. When developing and executing a publication plan on behalf of a pharmaceutical or biotechnologyBiotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
client, medical communication agencies employ professional publication strategists, scientific medical directors, medical writers and project managers. Working as a team, this group of individuals delves deep into their client's scientific discoveries, and propose the most effective and efficient ways to spread the word about new potential therapies to physicians and other healthcare providers.
There has been some discussion in the media
Media (communication)
In communications, media are the storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data...
regarding disclosure as it pertains to the use of professional medical writers
Medical writing
Medical writing is the activity of producing scientific documentation by a specialized writer. The medical writer typically is not one of the scientists or doctors who performed the research....
in this endeavor. Some agencies and professional organizations focused on publication planning have been and continue to develop and refine ethical
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
guidelines and standards for disclosure and transparency.
Professional publication planning associations
Professional organizations for individuals involved in pharmaceutical publication planning include the International Society of Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) and The International Publication Planning Association (TIPPA). The purpose of these organizations is to create a forum where individuals involved with pharmaceutical publication planning and biomedical publications can meet and share knowledge and experience. They serve to promote career opportunities and professional developmentProfessional development
Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
of individuals involved with pharmaceutical publication planning, as well as to promote standards of excellence in ethical professional medical writing and the biomedical publication process in disseminating scientific and clinical data on pharmaceutical products.
In 2009, ISMPP began a certification program for publication planning professionals.
External links
- Role of the Professional Medical Writer
- Ghost Management: How Much of the Medical Literature Is Shaped Behind the Scenes by the Pharmaceutical Industry? from PLoS MedicinePLoS MedicinePLoS Medicine is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering the full spectrum of the medical sciences. It began operation on October 19, 2004. It was the second journal of the Public Library of Science , a non-profit open-access publisher. All content in PLoS Medicine is published under the Creative...
- Good publication practice for communicating company sponsored medical research: the GPP2 guidelines
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
- World Association of Medical Editors
- American Medical Writers Association
- European Medical Writers Association
- Committee on Publication Ethics