This document summarizes a benchmarking study conducted by Best Practices, LLC on medical education structures, resources, and activities at large biopharmaceutical companies. Key findings include: - Most companies take a centralized approach to medical education, located in their US market or headquarters country. - Companies rely heavily on outsourcing, using vendors for 53% of program development and 58% of program delivery on average. - Staffing is concentrated in North America, with an average of 5 FTEs and $3.23 million budget per FTE. Companies support an average of 170 CME and 98 non-CME programs annually.

1. Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research
Benchmarking Professional Medical Education Excellence:
Structures, Resources and Activities to Optimize Large
Biopharmaceutical Education Groups

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Table of Contents
 Executive Summary pgs. 3-13
 Research Overview pg. 4
 Participating Companies pg. 5
 Medical Education Landscape pg. 6
 Change in Medical Education in Last 2-3 Years pg.7
 Key Recommendations pg. 8
 Key Findings & Insights pgs. 7-12
 Dual Focus of Medical Education pg. 13
 Structure & Activities pgs. 14-19
 Professional Education Investment Level & Funding Sources pgs. 20-30
 Professional Medical Education Staffing & Benchmark pgs. 31-42
 Changing Trends & Directions For Medical Education pgs. 43-50
 Benchmark Class Demographics pgs. 51-55
 About Best Practices LLC pgs. 56-57

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Medical Education Benchmark Research: Objectives,
Methodology and Topics
In an ever-changing industry where patient compliance, efficacy and safety are of the utmost importance, medical education
plays pivotal role in informing physicians and other health care professionals about the latest medical knowledge. Best Practices
LLC undertook this research to inform those who lead medical education functions about the proper size, resourcing, and
structure for this function or group.
Topics Covered
Research
Methodology
Research
Overview
 Medical Education group structure and
activities performed
 Funding channels utilized by Medical
Education groups
 Staffing benchmarks for Medical Education
groups
 Benchmarks for Medical Education
resources, investment allocation and budget
allocation by region and program type.
 Trends in grants to professional
societies/associations for accredited and
non-accredited education programs
 Future trends in Medical Education staffing
and investment
Best Practices, LLC engaged 11 leaders from 9 top
Biopharmaceutical and Medical Device companies
through a benchmarking survey. This report
captures insights across large healthcare pharma
as well as medical device industry.
 New compliance, transparency rules and
regulations have tempered the sponsorship of
some medical education programs by pharma
and medical device companies, as well as some
third-party providers of such services.
 This benchmarking study investigates emerging
Medical Education trends at medical device and
pharmaceutical organizations regarding funding,
program types. It also informs Medical Affairs
and Medical Education leaders on the proper
size, resourcing, and structure for this function
or group.

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Benchmark Class:
This study engaged 11 leaders supporting medical education at 9 leading life sciences and medical device companies. More than
50% of participants are at the level of director/ senior director and around 27% of participants are managers. More than 70% of
participants were from the U.S.
Universe of Learning: 9 Companies Participated In Study

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Medical Education Landscape Varies Greatly Across Sectors
Medical Education requirements, standards and “boundaries” are in a state of flux. Significant differences exist based on
region, size of company, therapeutic area and medical device / bio-pharm perspectives.
Factors Shaping Medical
Education Perspectives
Europe
Requirements
FDA & Safety
Pressures
Developing
Markets
Political
Pressures
U.S.
Requirements
Clinical &
Medical
Science
Structural
Forces
Creating
Changes
Medical Education –
Landscape
Clinical Education – Disease
State Awareness
Medical Education –
Product Specific
Medical Tech
Biopharma
Size of
Company
Region of World
Medical
Device
Therapeutic
Area
Operating
under CIA

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Key Findings & Insights : Professional Medical Education
Staffing and Benchmark
The following key findings and insights emerged from this study.
 Benchmark Companies Rely Heavily On Outsourcing
 Large companies rely on outsourcing for developing and deploying medical education programs.
They outsource 53% of medical education program development to vendors, while 58% of
companies use vendors for program deployment and delivery.
 On average, the companies employ 5 FTEs in the medical education group, The budget per FTE at
large companies stands at $3.23 million, and the span of control averages 3 medical education staff
per manager.
 Companies Staffs Heavily For U.S. Region;
 On average, large companies allocate 62% of their FTEs to the North American region and 29% of
FTEs to Europe. None of the FTEs in education function are allocated for field jobs, all of them are
in-house.
 Large Companies Support Higher Number Of CME Programs
 Benchmarked companies supported an average of 170 CME programs in the last fiscal year, while
the number of non-CME programs supported averaged of 98.
 The budget per program averaged about $88,000.

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Q. Please indicate which structure best describes the organizational approach of your medical education function and organization.
Medical Education Centralized in Headquarter Country Or U.S.
Market
% Respondents
More than 50% of large companies use a centralized structure for their medical education function either in the U.S. market or in
the country where the HQ is located, while 18% prefer either a hybrid structure or have regional headquarters in U.S. and
Europe.
N=11
Centralized in
headquarters
country
18%
Centralized in U.S.
Market (where U.S.
is not the
headquarters
country)
37%
Regional
headquarters in
U.S. & Europe
18%
Hybrid: Corporate
Headquarters AND
separate Business
Unit headquarters
18%
Other
9%
Others: U.S. only
Professional Medical Education Structural Approach

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Companies Develop, Deploy Programs Through Vendors
% Respondents
Q. What percentage of your programs are generated through each of the following talent pools (Each row should add up to 100%).
N=6
Benchmark participants, on average, outsource more than 50% of their medical education program development and delivery to
vendors.
In-company % Outsourced %
75th Percentile 95% 100%
Mean 47% 53%
Median 40% 60%
25th Percentile 0% 5%
Medical Education Program
Development
In-company % Outsourced %
79% 100%
42% 58%
38% 63%
0% 21%
Medical Education Program
Deployment/Delivery
In sourced / Outsourced:

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Q. Please provide the following information, which will be used for classification purposes and to ensure that you receive your copy of
the study deliverable.
Universe of Learning: Insights Drawn from Host of Bio-pharma
and Medical Device Experts
% Respondents
This research features insights from a range of leaders in medical education functions. More than half of the respondents serve
in director / sr. director roles, while around 20% of participants serve as managers.
N=11
Other: Team Lead, Independent Grants for
Learning and Change, Medical Education
and Training Principal
Director/ Senior
Director
55%
Manger
27%
Other
18%
Participants Designation

10. About Best Practices LLC

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Best Practices®, LLC is an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of best practice
benchmarking®. We are a research, consulting, benchmark database, publishing and advisory firm that
conducts work based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior
economic performance by leveraging the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of
world-class companies.
6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
(Phone): 919-403-0251
www.best-in-class.com
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