How To Improve the Medical Material Review Process

In a webinar, Acceleration Point showcased how it partnered with a top-10 pharmaceutical company to redesign its Medical Material Review (MMR) process. A Medical Material Review process is the structured workflow pharmaceutical and biotech companies use to review, approve, and track promotional and non-promotional materials before release. The stakes for disciplined material review have risen. In September 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Prescription Drug Promotion issued roughly 100 enforcement letters to drug manufacturers within days, a sharp increase from the five letters it issued in each of the two prior years. This case study revealed the significant challenges within many traditional review systems and how Acceleration Point's approach led to a change in their review process and improvement across several key metrics. Key themes from the webinar include creating a culture of continuous improvement, reducing expedited reviews, and refining the overall material review process. Watch the full webinar here.

Key Takeaways:

• A top-10 pharmaceutical company partnered with Acceleration Point to redesign its Medical Material Review (MMR) process.
• Expedited reviews dropped 16% after the team addressed root causes like unclear submission timelines.
• Weekly agendas, roster reviews, and a centralized communication inbox brought structure to the review workflow.
• MMR coordinators shifted from task-tracking to acting as strategic partners in the review process.
• The redesign focused on continuous improvement, not a one-time fix.

Why Start With a Culture of Continuous Improvement?

One of the biggest shifts in the company's MMR process was fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This was a cultural shift as much as a process one. It instilled a mindset across the organization, where continuous improvement became a core principle that drove the team to constantly evaluate and enhance their methods.

"There are three non-negotiable things that must be put into place to achieve these types of outcomes. Improve the process, provide actual support, and you cannot do the first two unless you build a culture of continuous improvement." - Jeffrey Tucker, Director of Client Operations, Acceleration Point

This culture allowed for ongoing feedback loops, regular process evaluations, and consistent training for all stakeholders. It created an environment where small, incremental changes were consistently made to improve workflow efficiency and maintain a high level of service.

How Can Teams Reduce Expedited Reviews?

A major challenge in the MMR process is the overwhelming volume of expedited reviews. Expedited reviews often result from poor planning and create unnecessary pressure on both the reviewers and the process. Reducing the number of expedited reviews is crucial in managing high review volumes and avoiding burnout within the review team.

"There were challenges to see the reviews or where the material resided within the process. And it was only getting more complicated when you had new product launches that came on top of the regular volume." - Jeffrey Tucker

By addressing root causes, such as lack of proactive planning and unclear submission timelines, Acceleration Point reduced expedited reviews by 16%. This proactive approach eased the workload on the review team and improved the overall efficiency of the review process.

"We empowered our coordinators to categorize what the expedites were, and then we communicated that to the therapeutic area lead, so they understood why 80% of their materials were considered expedited," - Jeffrey Tucker

How Do You Improve the Overall Review Process?

One of the most important aspects of the change was creating a streamlined and organized review process. At the heart of this effort was improving communication and building a strong system for tracking progress. The MMR coordinators played a critical role in keeping the process running smoothly. They acted as strategic partners who facilitated the entire review workflow rather than simply tracking tasks.

The first big step to improving the medical material review process is getting organized. Weekly agendas and roster reviews were implemented to create more structure around what materials needed to be reviewed. They also created a centralized inbox to track communication, reducing confusion and creating greater transparency to follow the progress of their submissions.

By implementing structured tracking tools, the team was able to monitor each version of the materials being reviewed, improving accuracy and capacity planning. Jeffrey Tucker, Director of Client Operations at Acceleration Point, explained how central this tracking is to the process: "Our coordinators are constantly updating those trackers… they live in those trackers."

The new review process improved efficiency, and it also helped the team manage their workload and collaborate more effectively across stakeholders. Tucker shared the importance of fostering this partnership: "The coordinators are not just telling people what needs to be done, they are active participants in helping the process move forward."

Conclusion

The case study highlights how Acceleration Point helped a top-10 pharmaceutical company improve its Medical Material Review process through structured changes and cultural shifts. By focusing on continuous improvement, reducing expedited reviews, and streamlining the overall process, the company saw tangible benefits in efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction.

This case study shows how process improvement and proactive planning can ease the common problems many medical review teams face today. If your team is facing similar challenges, Connect with our team for support in creating a more efficient and productive Medical Material Review process.

FAQ

What is a Medical Material Review (MMR) process?
An MMR process is the structured workflow pharmaceutical companies use to review, approve, and track promotional and non-promotional materials before they're released, typically involving Medical, Legal, and Regulatory reviewers.

What causes expedited reviews in an MMR process?
Expedited reviews are often caused by poor planning, unclear submission timelines, and reactive workflows that push materials through review under time pressure.

How can a company reduce expedited reviews?
Addressing root causes such as unclear submission timelines and lack of proactive planning can meaningfully reduce expedited review volume. One pharmaceutical company reduced expedited reviews by 16% using this approach.

What role do MMR coordinators play in the review process?
MMR coordinators track material versions, manage centralized communication, and act as strategic partners who help move the review process forward, not just administrators who track tasks.

Further Reading:

• Dedicated Process Management: Centralized and Communicative → https://www.accelerationpoint.com/resources/dedicated-process-management-centralized-and-communicative/
• Creating Visibility: The Keys To Consistency, Accuracy and Collaboration → https://www.accelerationpoint.com/resources/creating-visibilitythe-keys-to-consistency-accuracy-and-collaboration/
• Not all Medical Insights Require a Committee → https://www.accelerationpoint.com/resources/not-all-medical-insights-require-a-committee/