Brittany Finocchio, PharmD, BCPP
Medical Science Liaison
Karuna Therapeutics Inc
The Woodlands, TX
Dr. Brittany Finocchio is a residency-trained, Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist. She has held clinical positions in academia, correctional managed care, and inpatient psychiatry. She has direct experience working with patients living with a broad range of mental health conditions, including via prescriptive authority under a psychiatrist, and as part of a larger treatment team providing interdisciplinary care. She transitioned into pharmaceutical industry in 2020 and is currently a Senior Medical Science Liaison at Karuna Therapeutics, with a focus on schizophrenia.
Disclaimer: Brittany Finocchio is an employee of Karuna Therapeutics™. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Karuna Therapeutics™.
An MSL is an individual with advanced scientific or clinical training, such as a PhD or PharmD, who works within the medical affairs department of a pharmaceutical, medical device, biotechnology, or similar company. MSLs typically support a particular therapeutic area (e.g., neuroscience) in which their company has an approved and marketed product or a product that is in clinical development. The MSL role is “field-based”, meaning that MSLs work remotely within an assigned geographical area that may encompass one or more metropolitan areas or states. Within this territory, the MSL serves as the face of medical affairs and routinely travels to meet with stakeholders who are of relevance to their company.
The primary responsibility of the MSL is to support their company’s medical business objectives through scientific and clinical engagements with external stakeholders. The MSL serves as a liaison between the medical community and the science/industry, developing and maintaining strategic, mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders in their therapeutic area on behalf of their company. These stakeholders may serve as thought leaders or experts, front-line clinicians, and/or researchers in the disease state of interest. Within the field of neuroscience, which encompasses psychiatric and neurologic disease states, this may include psychiatrists, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, physician associates, psychiatric pharmacists, psychologists, and researchers, among other disciplines.
The MSL role is distinct from that of sales representatives, as it is non-commercial and non-promotional. Through advanced scientific training, the MSL communicates complex scientific and clinical information and strives to be viewed as a peer by stakeholders. MSLs deliver formal and informal education, including proactive disease state education and reactive education surrounding their company’s marketed products, products in development, and clinical or pre-clinical data. They keep their company up to date with real-word clinical practice through identification and documentation of insights relevant to unmet needs within the disease space, perception of company data, experience with the company’s products, and other matters of interest to their company. MSLs maintain a working knowledge of external stakeholders within their territory to facilitate opportunities for collaboration between the company and these stakeholders (e.g., participation in clinical trials or advisory boards).
The MSL works in a highly regulated industry with strict regulations around engaging in legitimate scientific and medical discussions. MSLs engage with various practice settings, including managed care, academia, private practice, public/community health, and government entities. Some practice settings are completely closed to pharmaceutical industry, whereas others are receptive to engaging with medical affairs (non-promotional) but not commercial (promotional) personnel. As a key member of their company’s medical affairs team, MSLs provide a credible link to external stakeholders, bridging the gap between clinical development and commercial success.
Stephen R. Saklad, PharmD, BCPP
Director, Psychiatric Pharmacy Program
Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Center
UT Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio TX
Clinical Professor
College of Pharmacy- Pharmacotherapy Division
The University of Texas at Austin
Adjunct Professor
School of Medicine- Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Center
UT Health Science Center San Antonio
Clinical Pharmacologist
San Antonio State Hospital- Texas Department of State Health Services
Dr. Saklad is from Los Angeles, California. He received his Bachelor of Science in Bacteriology from University of California Los Angeles, his PharmD from University of Southern California, and finished training with a National Institute of Mental Health training fellowship in Psychiatric Pharmacy at University of Nebraska Medical Center. Since then, he has been on the faculty of the UT Austin College of Pharmacy and clinical staff San Antonio State Hospital. Dr. Saklad has enjoyed a career that includes providing clinical care, education, and research in a variety of settings, particularly as a founding member of both AAPP and the Foundation (previously CPNP and CPNPF). He developed the initial websites for the College of Pharmacy and AAPP and was the Founding Senior Editor of the Mental Health Clinician. Dr. Saklad reflects on his consistent focus to expand and document the delivery of rational, research derived care to help patients: evidence-based practice and translational science
The psychiatric pharmacist benefits from having an ongoing relationship with their territory’s MSL. MSLs provide an outstanding resource for the latest information on a pharmaceutical company’s scientific publications in journals and poster presentations. Poster presentations are difficult to obtain after a conference has ended. Compounding this, most psychiatric pharmacists attend few scientific meetings due to their workloads. MSLs are an excellent source to get copies of posters sponsored by their company. Some psychiatric pharmacists have limited access to full text journal articles; many times, MSLs can provide them with a copy.
I have found that MSLs will have access to interesting information about the disease states they know I’m interested in knowing more about. This might not be related to their company’s products but could be something that they came across from other professional contacts or at meetings. They can be a major conduit for connecting clinicians with similar interests by providing introductions and contact information.
Psychiatric pharmacists interested in pushing the frontier of knowledge forward can be given access to the company’s investigator-initiated studies portal. This is where you can submit a brief protocol to investigate an area of general interest to the company or novel uses of their existing products. The requirements vary year-to-year and company-to-company. MSLs can keep you aware of the changing opportunities that become available on their portal. Similarly, they can connect you to other investigators who are looking for collaborators. Psychiatric pharmacists who have no local potential collaborators can possibly find them by letting their MSLs know of their interest.
I think of MSLs as an essential component of my healthcare information landscape that stitches together the scientific side of the company with the practicing clinician. I have found that making enough time to meet with MSLs periodically is time well invested.
