Over time, there has been a steady increase in the demand for medical writing. Medical writers have many career options in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Medical writers can work independently or be employed as full-time professionals. With the increasing outsourcing of pharmaceutical work to Asia, Indian graduates can consider medical writing a promising career path and acquire the necessary knowledge and abilities to pursue this as a full-time occupation.
Let’s address a few BASIC questions regarding medical writing!!
What is Medical Writing?
- Medical writing involves the creation of documents that communicate scientific, medical, or health-related information. It involves creating of wide range of materials, such as:
- Scientific documents
- Journal manuscripts, review articles and abstracts
- Educational and promotional literature related to diseases or drugs
- Content for websites, health magazines, or news articles related to healthcare
What are Different Types of Medical Writing?
- Medico Marketing
- It involves promoting pharmaceutical products to patients and medical professionals through Brochures, Visual Aids, and Product monographs.
- Regulatory Documents
- Submission of documents required by regulatory authorities, including drug applications, labelling, and safety reports.
- Research documents
- Developing clinical trial documents like Protocols, clinical study reports, informed consent forms, and investigator brochures.
- Medical Journalism
- Developing content related to health or any medical issues for newspapers, television, radio, or specialized media.
- Scientific Publications
- Manuscripts for journals, conference posters, and abstracts.
Why is Medical Writing in High Demand?
- Expanding Pharmaceutical Sector—The flourishing pharmaceutical industry is a key driver of the high demand for medical writers. These professionals are integral to product marketing, scientific research, and regulatory affairs.
- Growing field of Clinical Research—As medical research advances rapidly, the role of medical writers becomes increasingly crucial. They decipher and convey intricate scientific facts, playing a significant and valued part in the advancement of clinical research.
- Regulatory Prerequisite – To fulfil regulatory requirements, pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers must provide extensive documentation to regulatory bodies to secure clearance for new medications and treatments.
- Rising consciousness of health—With increased health awareness, there’s a growing demand for trustworthy, accurate, and understandable health information.
What are the Skills Needed for Medical Writing?
- Foundation in medicine, the life sciences, or other health-related subjects.
- Proficiency in effective writing.
- Ability to articulate complex topics clearly and understandably is a cornerstone of this profession.
- Medical writers who prepare clinical research and regulatory documentation require a comprehensive understanding of the drug development process, clinical research, and numerous guidelines and should be familiar with national and international regulatory authorities.
- A basic understanding of statistics is necessary for good medical writing.
What is the Qualification Required for Medical Writing?
- Most medical writers have at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as:
- Life sciences (e.g., Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology)
- Health-related fields (e.g., Nursing, Public Health)
- Medical or biomedical sciences
- Pharmaceutical sciences
- Clinical or laboratory sciences
- Master’s or PhD in biomedical sciences, pharmacology, medical research
Are Medical Writing Certification Programs Available?
- Yes, various institutes/universities run a certification programme for medical writing.
- Some of the medical writing courses in India include courses offered by Henry Harvin, TechnoBridge, Symbiosis, and IGMPI.
Further Reading
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3149406/#sec1-2
