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I AM PLEASED TO introduce a series of topics specifically dedicated to the practice of medical communications. Within the pharmaceutical industry, medical communications is a term that encompasses the practice and provision of drug and/or medical information to health care professionals and/or consumers. The genesis of this series of articles was the vision of Tom Teal, editor-inchief of the Drug Information Journal. In March 1999, Mr. Teal suggested a special issue dedicated to the practice of medical communications. This was in recognition of the many individuals, several of whom are contributing authors to this issue, who have participated in and led the DIA-sponsored Annual Medical Communications Workshop for the past 11 years.Preceding the establishment of a fruitful long-term relationship with the DIA in 1988, a medical information subgroup initiated a series of meetings with several medical information professionals across the industry, hosted by Ed Collins (Burroughs-Wellcome) and Jay Bauman (Glaxo) in Research Triangle Park. From there it was the establishment of the DIA Medical Communications Special Interest Area Committee, under the guidance of Tom Teal, that led to the development of a highly professional association of many industry-based medical information prac-