In this short extract from a recent webinar, Chris Toller, faculty member of CELforPharma’s The Medical Affairs Excellence Course, explains why Medical Affairs teams benefit from having a clear and structured framework that defines their role and purpose. As he introduces his model, Chris highlights the importance of first understanding what Medical Affairs is expected to do and how it contributes to the wider organisation. Establishing this clarity is the foundation for building a function that adds consistent, strategic value.
A central point Chris emphasises is the need to deeply understand the external people Medical Affairs interacts with. He stresses that appreciating who these individuals are, what challenges they face, and how they think is essential for developing meaningful, productive relationships. These one-to-one connections are not an end in themselves — they are the key to generating valuable insights that help the organisation better understand real-world needs and barriers. These insights enable Medical Affairs to guide internal decision-making with credible, experience-based perspectives from the outside healthcare environment.
💡 This video introduces the first step toward building a coherent, future-ready Medical Affairs framework — one grounded in clarity of purpose, genuine external understanding, and the ability to capture insights that matter.
If you want to go deeper into each of these domains, join Chris’ 2-day course:
🎓 If you want to learn about:
- Strategic thinking in the Medical Affairs function.
- How to create, measure and demonstrate value in the Medical Affairs function.
- How to use medical insights for a successful brand development strategy.
- How to communicate effectively with HCPs.
- What Medical Affairs needs to know about patient-centricity, pharmaco-economics, market access and digital communications.
- Leadership skills for Medical Affairs.
👉 Attend Chris Toller’s highly praised 2-day course:
The Medical Affairs Excellence Course
With Chris Toller
