Observers of the field say that despite the higher supply of medical writers, demand is still strong, especially for experienced writers. Medical writing is actually a catchall phrase covering diverse lines of work. Brian Bass , a freelance writer in Robbinsville, N.J., and head of AMWA's Delaware Valley chapter, says four types of writing are involved. Promotional communications include advertising. Scientific writing embraces product monographs, grant applications, and ghostwritten journal articles.
Educational writing is targeted toward physicians, patients, and salespeople.
Finally, clinical and regulatory writing is an integral part of the drug evaluation and approval process. Sablack estimates that close ot a third of AMWA members work for pharmaceutical companies, while 20 percent are free-lancers. But medical writers often don't fall into neat categories. Thus, an AMWA member listing a primary interest in public relations may work for a hospital instead of an agency. And a drug company employee could be writing journal articles and poster presentations instead of NDAs.