The many faces of medical sales jobs

By: John Bult
Submitted: 2008-07-28 17:10:48
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GP/Hospital rep

This term is normally a reference to a pharmaceutical sales job for products covering both primary and secondary care. Candidates applying for these jobs will need to be well versed in pharmaceutical medical sales including the ABPI, what this is and how it will affect your role. In addition you will need to understand the way in which a primary care group is structured and the implications to your medical sales role. For the secondary care part of these roles you should research the hierarchy of medical professionals in hospitals from house officers through to consultants. Also you should understand the drugs and therapeutic committee and how you will need to influence this group to achieve results.

Primary care rep

 This term is used to describe medical sales roles for products sold solely to GPs. These roles are often roles accessible to trainees I an industry which is traditionally very difficult to enter. If you are looking to enter this type of medical sales ensure you are well versed on the nature of the role, you will be expected to have shadowed a rep for a day to learn all about the job. Visit your local surgery and ask for cards of the local reps, you may have to make a few calls to medical sales reps before someone agrees to help, but stick at it, you’ll need to get over this hurdle.

Hospital rep

 This term often interchangeable with ‘hospital specialists’ and is used to describe medical sales roles dedicated to hospital work (work in secondary care). To apply for these roles you will need to have performed another medical sales role already, in particular you will need to have had exposure to secondary care work via a GP/hospital role.

Woundcare sales rep

 Woundcare sales refers to the medical sales of bandages and dressings. These roles are primarily selling into hospitals although the customer groups are different in that the emphasis tends to be nurses. Unlike their pharmaceutical counterparts these roles have a more commercial edge to them in that you will be required to negotiate contracts with buyers of your products. Whereas in pharmaceutical medical sales, price negotiations would never occur are representative levels.

Veterinary sales

Veterinary medical sales usually refers to the sale of pharmaceuticals for animals. These roles differ in a number of ways from traditional medical sales jobs. The territories are very much larger due to the relatively spares density of veterinary practices. Access to vets is generally considered much easier than Doctors. 

Dental sales

The primary difference between these roles and pharma sales is that most of dental sales involves private practise which adjust the emphasis of the sales message from one which is often purely cost driven alongside effectiveness to one in which effectiveness is placed alongside profitability.

 Whilst all of these medical sales roles have their similarities they are all different with factors varying from earnings potential through to territory size and the customer group. Research your own potential medical sales area well before committing to a decision which will likely affect the rest of your career.

Article source: Expert Articles