How To Become A Pharmaceutical Rep: Expert Guide

We all take drugs for one purpose or the other and most human health conditions depend on the availability of these drugs. There are so many pharmaceutical industries that produce and several drugs available for consumption with each specializing in different types of drugs, however, there is a need to make these drugs available in the market. For this reason, a lot of people deliberately go for professional training on how to become a pharmaceutical rep.

Becoming a pharmaceutical sales rep requires more than just your willingness, presenting yourself as a pharmaceutical sales rep entails familiarizing yourself with different aspects of the industry and also getting relevant knowledge about how to market the drugs.

In this article, you will learn about how to become a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company.

Table of Contents

Who Is a Pharmaceutical Rep?

The pharmaceutical position consist of the attributes of a sales representative and they also create, develop and also test new medications in order to fully carry out its sales functions. To put it in another way, the pharmaceutical representative facilitates the production and marketing of drugs. Additionally, they also serve as a liaison between the pharmaceutical company and the Pharmacist with regards to the passing of information between both parties and also giving detailed descriptions on the usage of some special drugs.

According to Wikipedia, Pharmaceutical sales representatives are salespeople employed by pharmaceutical companies to persuade doctors to prescribe their drugs to patients.

What Does a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Do?

Make necessary information about the available product and deliver product samples to the pharmacist.
Provide answers to any lingering doubt the customer might have that are related to the product’s price, rules and regulations.
Develop a positive relationship of trust with medical representatives in order to cause a feeling of involvement in the process of making decision.
Put into consideration prior assessment of client’s needs when creating a new product
Make extensive research as well as identifying individuals that are likely to become customers in the nearest future.
Staying up-to-date about new global pharmaceutical products around the world so as to be able to keep your customers informed.

How To Become a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep

Becoming a pharmaceutical representative may seem somewhat unattainable and a long stretch, however, that is not the case. You also have the opportunity of becoming a certified pharmaceutical representative by following this simple laid down guide carefully.

Earn your high school diploma
Go for a bachelor’s degree
Consider going for a graduate degree
Enroll for professional certification
You can begin networking
Get sales experience and develop your skills
Be updated on industry news
Prepare your resume and cover letter

#1. Earn Your High School Diploma

The first step to take in becoming a professional Pharmaceutical rep is to go for a high school diploma certificate. Also, have in mind that you should enroll in an accredited and reputable school.

#2. Go For a Bachelor’s Degree

Having gone through your high school diploma, the next step is to advance towards earning a bachelor’s degree. Earning a degree in pharmaceutical sales rep will ie you an edge when sourcing for an intern placement upon graduation however, this is not to say you can’t choose any other similar programs that are related to Pharmacology.

#3. Consider Going For a Graduate Degree

If you are serious about becoming a certified pharmaceutical sales rep then after your graduation, you should go for a postgraduate degree in addition to your first degree. This will expose you to more knowledge about your course of concern and better prepare you for the world.

#4. Enroll For Professional Certification

Also, there are people who have knowledge about the subject of interest which is Pharmaceutical Rep and these people seek to share this information with others with the same passion for a fixed amount of money. As a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative aspirant, you should take advantage of this opportunity so you also can become professionally certified.

#5. Begin Networking

Having one through your degrees down to your professional certification, you would have met quite a lot of people and have made quite a good number of friends. Getting the job of a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep can be very touched as the most company only announces vacancy when word of mouth isn’t yielding many results. Hence having a good network of friends can help to keep you updated about any openings even before it goes out of the firm.

#6. Get Sales Experience and Develop Your Skills

Notwithstanding the fact that you are aiming for a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep., you can as well apply for Jobs that are not entirely Pharmaceutical related but has some element of sales in them. This will give you the opportunity to grow your skills in sales which can also be applied when you finally land a job a the Pharmaceutical Sales Rep.

#7. Be Updated On Industry News

Even as you tarry pending when you et your dream job, as you do other related jobs also keep yourself updated on any news related to Pharmacy both in your country and other countries around the world.

#8. Prepare Your Resume and Cover Letter

After some time in your intern job, you should have relevant knowledge and experience. Prepare your resume and your cover letter as well as there might be an opportunity for your dream job at any time. ensure you take your resume to professionals in that aspect to assess and advise on necessary adjustments to make.

Are you also interested in Indian Scholarships? Then you should check out our article on Scholarships For Indian Students: How To Get Scholarship In India.

Pharmaceutical Rep Certification

Being a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep, you must first be certified. In fact, One of the most famous and recognized bodies in charge of this certification is the Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative (CNPR). To obtain this certification, you must go through different phases of training on the regulations guiding pharmaceutical sales, the terminologies used, physiology, and of course pharmacology.

You can opt to et your CNPR training online which is what is most preferred now. On completion of the training, you can sit for the CPRN exam in order to earn your credential.

Pharmaceutical Rep Jobs

There are so many job opportunities available to you as a Pharmaceutical Rep. Listed below are some of the vacancies.

Field Force Managers at a Pharmaceutical Marketing Company (4 Openings)
National Sales Manager at Tyonex Nigeria Limited
National Sales Manager at a Pharmaceutical Distribution Company
Sales Representative (Enugu) at Society for Family Health (SFH)
Sales Representatives at Chemo-Pharma Laboratories Limited
Product Manager (Pharmaceutical Marketing) at Willers Solutions Limited
Pharmaceutical Field Force Manager at Sylken Limited (Lagos)

To get information about any of the jobs, visit this link

Pharmaceutical Rep Salary

Going by the data gotten from indeed.com, an average Pharmaceutical rep salary per year is over $73000 per year which is precisely why the job of the Pharmaceutical sales Rep and is considered to high esteem as very lucrative

The Wrap Up

A career as a pharmaceutical rep is an awesome choice however, ensure you strive to become the best as there are many other people aiming for that also. So to stand out, you must create a path of uniqueness for yourself.

References

Indeed– How much does a sales rep make
linkedin– Pharmaceutical Sales
wikihow– How to become a pharmaceutical Rep