Why is it Essential for Medical Affairs to Obtain Board Certification?

Is BCMAS in medical affairs worth it? As the medical affairs function develops and advances, certification is nearly as important for working in scientific communication as getting a terminal degree. In pharmaceuticals, certification is critical for advancing your medical career. In fact, many top companies now require being board certified for new job hires.

Today, it’s universally accepted that the professional accreditation procedure improves the quality of doctors — and, therefore improves patient outcomes. As the Voice of the Patient grows as a more significant force in the realm of medicine, board certification for medical affairs professionals is increasingly prominent.

Yet, what is the significance of board certification for medical affairs?

A lot is on the line. Medical affairs teams manage and provide information that is directly related to patients’ treatment and well-being. Pharma must be conscious of whether the medical affairs professionals they recruit have a strong comprehension of the essential capabilities and aptitudes required to be effective without causing greater risk.

Attention is often focused on standards governing communication between field-based medical affairs and healthcare providers (HCPs). But there is a great deal more to medical affairs’ responsibilities than the field work of medical science liaisons (MSLs).

What other scenarios do medial affairs professionals need to be ready for? Maybe you’re the chair of an investigator-initiated study (IIS) advisory group, and you need to have the option to survey whether there are patent issues or conflict of interests, or whether the investigation being proposed is accurate in addressing data gaps. Possessing a strong foundation in critical medical affairs skills allows MSLs and in-house staff to address the HCPs’ pressing concerns.

Is board affirmation fundamental for medical affairs experts?

“I would say it is a resonating yes! Like a CPA in Accounting, a board accreditation in medical affairs guarantees that all people in a medical affairs role who interface with HCPs and present information, have an essential degree of understanding which guarantees the integrity of data being produced or disseminated,” said William Soliman, founder of the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs.

ACMA established the primary and solely accredited board certification for medical affairs and Medical Science Liaison (MSL) professionals via the Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) program. The organization partners with universities and companies to offer training and certification to medical affairs experts. It is also a joint provider of CME/CE for U.S. licensed physicians and pharmacists.

The ACMA is a global organization concentrated on raising the bar in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical devices, and diagnostics industry. In addition to the BCMAS certification, they provide a full suite of solutions for the life sciences industry, including a medical affairs CRM platform, predictive analytics, medication safety and regulatory affairs services, and Prior Authorization Certification Specialist (PACS) programs.

The pharmaceutical industry assumes an enormous role in producing novel research communicating new clinical information. “It’s time we build present expectations and set the best quality level in medical affairs,” said Soliman.

The company’s flagship Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) professional certification program for MSLs and Medical Affairs professionals is now the industry standard in over 70 countries. The board certification equips medical affairs professionals with a complete understanding of industry trends and issues, with the ability to critically comprehend challenges and provide solutions. The ACMA’s mission is to help medical affairs experts achieve the highest standards for excellence.

“We want to empower MSLs and Medical Affairs professionals to have a comprehensive knowledge of what they do and thereby build better outcomes for patients across the healthcare system,” said Soliman.