Work as a medical representative

The work of the medical representative is at the intersection of medicine and sales. The task of the medical representative -advertise medications offered by the pharmaceutical company that produces them. The matter is that advertising of some medical preparations is limited legislatively. Therefore, the medical representative promotes medicines among potential implementers (pharmacists and doctors of medical institutions), tells about their advantages, advises on the use of medicines.

In most cases, the work of the medical representative requires the applicant profile education - employers prefer to hire graduatesmedical and pharmaceutical universities. But some specialized medical knowledge is usually not enough. Before starting work, future medical representatives are trained. Medics are taught the skill of sales at special seminars and trainings, thus the profile knowledge is supplemented by the skills of the sales manager.

What is the responsibility of the medical representative? It depends on the specific direction of itactivities (the work of a medical representative can be divided into work with pharmacies, work with medical and preventive institutions, work with key clients, etc.). If to speak in general, the medical representative is responsible for the promotion of medicines on the market. He advises doctors and pharmacy workers about the features and benefits of the drug that he is promoting. His responsibilities also include finding and cooperation with business partners, monitoring the market and competitors, organizing promotional events, monitoring the availability and sales of drugs in pharmacies.

What knowledge, skills and skills The applicant must possess, if he is attracted towork as a medical representative? In the first place - this is medical knowledge, preferably profile (that is, selling a drug for the cardiovascular system is likely to take a cardiologist). Sometimes medical education is not considered a priority, but it is usually easier to teach a medic to sell than to give the salesman medical knowledge. After all, the medical representative works with the doctors, and if he wants to win their trust, he should know as many of them.

Also, a medical representative is required to knowledge of the fundamentals of management and marketing, understanding of the specifics of the market, principlespricing. The medical representative should be able to conduct advertising campaigns, negotiate with clients and arrange them to themselves. Like any "salesman", the medical representative should be sociable, active, responsible, flexible, persistent, punctual, open and resistant to stress. If the pharmaceutical company provides official transport to the medical representative, he may be required to have a driver's license.

The work of a medical representative has advantages and disadvantages. The most significant advantage of working in the pharmaceutical business - this is salary and bonuses. Working in the field of business, a graduate of a medical college will receive more than if he went to work in a public medical institution. Salary is often supplemented with payment of a percentage of sales, the provision of a business phone and payment for mobile communications, payment of travel in public transport or the provision of a company car.

But this profession has its own limitations. Often the clients of a medical representative(doctors and pharmacists) treat him with suspicion, believing that he went to work in this field, because the doctor is useless from him. Also, some doctors (especially representatives of the older generation) do not trust the newfangled medical products, preferring to treat "the old fashioned way." In addition, the work of a medical representative, like any other work related to sales and communication with people, is daily stress.

You might think that the work of a medical representative is quite hopeless. In fact, this is not so - career growth in the field of pharmaceutical sales is quite possible. By focusing on sales, you can getincrease to a senior medical representative, and then - to the regional manager. Paying more attention to the sphere of marketing, one can take the position of the product manager (his task is to be responsible for introducing a group of preparations of a certain producer on the market). Professional doctors who want to "go into science" can do scientific and analytical work - conduct clinical trials of drugs, write scientific articles, etc.