Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry spends billions each year on the clinical development of new medicines. Getting those products to the patients who will benefit from them requires an ability to convey the results of extensive clinical research programs to regulatory authorities, physicians, and payers. Employed by medical communications agencies, contract research organizations, and pharmaceutical companies, medical writers distill and translate complex clinical and scientific data to develop documentation spanning the entire pharmaceutical-product life cycle, from clinical development to registration and marketing. Despite being a relatively new career, the market for medical communications professionals has doubled in recent years and future job prospects look promising.