Perceptions of Australian Medical Affairs and Cross-Functional Participants on the Role of Medical Affairs in Quality Use of Medicines (QUM)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Medical Affairs (MA) is increasingly recognised as a strategic and scientific function within the pharmaceutical industry, with responsibilities spanning evidence generation, stakeholder engagement and support for the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM). However, particularly in the Australian context, there is limited empirical evidence examining how MA's contribution to QUM is understood, articulated and evaluated within pharmaceutical organisations. This study aimed to examine and compare the perceptions of Australian MA and cross-functional (CF) participants regarding MA's contribution, professional competencies, organisational value and alignment with QUM and business objectives. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 participants (11 Medical Affairs [MA] and 10 cross-functional [CF] participants) working across MA, regulatory, market access, commercial and sales functions within Australian pharmaceutical companies. Participants were purposively sampled to ensure diversity in role, seniority and organisational context. Interviews were guided by literature on the evolving role of MA and professional capability development. Overall, 35 potential participants were directly invited, of whom 21 participated. Thematic saturation was considered to have been reached at approximately interview 16. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Among the 11 MA and 10 CF participants, MA participants described their contribution to QUM through scientific education, evidence interpretation, real-world evidence generation and healthcare professional (HCP) and patient engagement. CF participants acknowledged these contributions but highlighted challenges in quantifying MA's impact using conventional performance metrics. Both groups supported structured competency frameworks, greater recognition of MA's ethical and scientific stewardship and a shift towards outcome-oriented measures of value. CONCLUSIONS: MA is increasingly perceived by participants as an important contributor to QUM through scientific engagement and insight generation. Realising this potential will require improved cross-functional understanding, adaptable competency frameworks and performance metrics aligned with QUM outcomes rather than traditional commercial outputs.