Using AI to answer medical queries

Context

Merck Canada was advancing its digital transformation with a clear ambition: modernize how medical information is accessed while supporting a scalable, compliant go-to-market strategy.

Healthcare practitioners (HCPs) and patients were increasingly expecting instant, reliable answers to medical questions, yet much of the demand still flowed through Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs), even for routine, low-complexity inquiries. This created friction, delays, and a poor allocation of highly specialized human expertise.

Merck needed a smarter, more efficient way to deliver trusted medical answers in real time, without compromising regulatory rigor.

The Challenge

Internal data analysis surfaced a clear pattern: Most inbound questions from HCPs were repetitive and tied directly to existing Product Monographs, dosage, indications, contraindications, and safety information.

The problem wasn’t a lack of information. It was how that information was accessed.

MSLs were spending too much time answering low-touch questions, limiting their ability to focus on high-value, complex clinical discussions. At the same time, HCPs were not getting the immediacy they increasingly expected.

Merck needed to automate the obvious, safely, accurately, and at scale.

The Solution

Ask Merck, an AI-powered medical information platform.

Merck with CloudRaker to deploy a connected digital platform that uses AI to deliver real-time, compliant answers to medical questions about Merck products.

The platform combines:

• A governed AI chat interface

• Direct access to validated medical content (Product Monographs)

• Seamless escalation to medical specialists when questions exceed predefined confidence thresholds

The result: instant answers for routine inquiries, and faster routing for complex cases, all within a controlled, auditable environment.

Featured Capabilities

• Operate – automating repetitive, low-risk medical queries

• Transform - transforming AI knowledge with human medical expertise data into structured answers and documents

• Assist - Natural Language Integration delivering answers through an intuitive, mobile-first AI chat experience

• Managed Services - AI Transformation Strategy to align AI capabilities with Merck’s go-to-market and medical affairs objectives

Impact & Outcomes

• Enabled real-time responses to common medical questions

• Reduced workload on Medical Science Liaisons for low-complexity inquiries

• Improved response time and experience for HCPs across Canada

• Created a scalable foundation for AI-driven medical engagement

Ask Merck didn’t replace human expertise, it protected it, ensuring specialists spend their time where it matters most.