PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE 1

Marketing350CareerPaper:PharmaceuticalSalesRepresentative

By:SydneyRapp

AsasecondsemesterseniorIhavehadalotoftimetoconsideracareerpath.Ihave

recentlyswitchedfromapredentalpathwaytooneinpharmaceuticalsales.Igrewupwitha

mominpharmaceuticalsalesandadadinmedicaldevicesalessoIamveryfamiliarwiththe

field.In1899aspirinhitthemarketandthepharmaceuticalindustrywasborn.Sincethenthe

fieldhasgrowntremendously,with$425billionspentperyearonmedicationsbytheUS

healthcaresector(JobProfile,n.d.).

PharmaceuticalSalesRepresentatives(PSRs)areresponsibleforpresentingsamplesof

andinformationaboutdrugsamplesthattheircompanyhasdevelopedandtestedtoclinicians.

Theirgoalistogetthecliniciantoprescribethedrugstheyselltotheirpatients(JobProfile,

n.d.).Theyworkhardandpersistentlytobuildcloserelationshipswiththedoctorstheycallon

sothattheirpurchasingconnectionsaremorethanjustshortterm.Whentheyhavesolid,long

termrelationshipswiththeirclientstheyaremorelikelytoreach,andoftenexceed,theirquotas.

Thejobrequirementsvarybycompanyandlevelofexpertise.Asfaraseducation,most

positionsrequireatleastaBachelorsDegree.Thedegreecanbeinalmostanything,however,a

degreeinthesciences,businessorsalesisusuallypreferred.Asalesrepresentativeisalso

expectedtobeabletounderstandandexplainmedicalterminology/concepts(PharmaSales,

n.d.).Whenitcomestotrainingmostcompaniestraintheirnewemployeestohelpthemfully

understandtheproductandtheirsellingtechniques(PharmaSales,n.d.).Asidefrom

education,thereareotherattributesnecessarytomakeanexceptionalPSR.Communication

skillsareessentialaswellastheabilitytodevelopstronginterpersonalrelationships
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(PharmaceuticalSales,2015).Individualsshouldalsobeoutgoing,personable,andbeableto

persuadewithoutbeingoverbearing(PharmaSales,n.d.).Whenitcomestotheamountof

experienceneededitdependsonthepositionandspecialty.ManyentrylevelPSRscallon

primarycareofficesbutaspecializedpositionrequiresyearsofexperience.

Accordingtolearn.org,themediansalaryin2015forsalesrepresentativesthatsell

technicalandscientificproductswas76,190(PharmaceuticalSalesRepresentative,n.d.).

Accordingtothe2016PharmaSalesSalaryReport,theaverageannualsalaryforPSRsisabout

$122,107(JobProfile,n.d.).SpecialtyPSRsusuallyearnmore,withaveragesalariesaround

$138,150onaverage(JobProfile,n.d.).Thestartingsalaryisonthelowerend,asexpected,

withanannualsalaryof$100,083onaverage(JobProfile,n.d.).Anotherthingtotakeinto

considerationbesidessalaryarethebenefits.Thebenefitspackagesoftenincludeacompanycar,

expenseaccounts,stockinthecompany,commission,medicalandlifeinsurance,tuition

reimbursementandretirementplans(NASPRxNews,2015).Asyoucansee,thesalaryfor

thesepositionsiswellaboveaverageandwiththebenefitsontopofitcanleavetoagreat

standardofliving.

Whenitcomestothejoboutlook,thereareslightlydifferentopinions.TheUSBureauof

LaborStatisticssaysthatlargepharmaceuticalcompanieswillexperiencegrowthinthecoming

yearsandassuch,morePSRswillbeneeded(PharmaceuticalSalesCareer,n.d.).Thesejobs

willcontinuetoriseastheneedforhealthcarecontinues.AccordingtoLearn.org,theexpected

growthbetween2014and2024is7%(PharmaceuticalSalesRepresentative,n.d.).NASPRx

statesthatthereisa10%expectedjobgrowthforallsalesrepresentativesinthescientificand

technicalfieldbetween2012and2020,whichisroughlyaveragegrowth(NASPRxNews,
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2015).AccordingtotheTopMastersinHealthcareAdministration,about400,000

pharmaceuticalsalesjobswillbecreatedinto2022.Alargecontributortotheincreaseinjob

growthisaresultoftheBabyBoomergenerationgettingolder.Consistingofaround800million

people,thisgenerationmakesupthelargestportionoftheUSpopulationsothemgettingolder

onlymeansahigherdemandformedication(NASPRxNews,2015).Despitethedifferencesin

opinions,theindustryisdefinitelygrowingsothejobgrowthisgood.

Despitethegrowth,therearefactorsthatposeathreattotheindustry.Thegrowthofthe

techindustrymaybeone.Theincreaseintheuseoftechnologyhasshiftedtheindustryfrom

facetofaceconnectionstodigitalconnections.AccordingtoMedreps.com,a2013study

conductedbyAccenturediscoveredthataboutoneinfoursalesinteractionshavemigratedto

digitalinteractions(PharmaceuticalSales,2015).AQuantiasurveyfoundthat76%of

physicianspreferredtogetinformationaboutnewproductsdigitallyasopposedtoinperson

(PharmaceuticalSales,2015).TheincreasesinmergersinthePharmaceuticalIndustryhave

alsoposedathreattoPSRjobs.Themergersoftenleadtoasmallerworkforceandoftensales

representativesarecut.However,thosethatareexceptionalattheirjobandbringvaluetothe

companywillbekeptaround(PharmaceuticalSalesCareer,n.d.).

Asyoucanseethisfieldisdefinitelyworthlookinginto.Therearethingsthatposea

threattotheindustry,butthisistrueformostindustries.Ifyouaremotivatedtosucceedandare

greatatyourjob,youhavethepotentialtodoextremelywell.
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WorksCited

JobProfile:PharmaceuticalSalesRepresentatives.TopMastersinHealthcareAdministration.

Retrievedfrom

http://www.topmastersinhealthcare.com/jobprofiles/pharmaceuticalsalesrepresentative/

(2015).NAPSRxNews:StateofthePharmaceuticalSalesRepLaborMarket2015ToSee

Growth.VocusPRWHoldings,LLC.Retrievedfrom

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/02/prweb12520760.htm

PharmaSalesRepresentative:EducationRequirements&CareerInfo.Study.com.Retrieved

from

http://study.com/articles/Sales_Representative_Educational_Requirements_for_a_Career

_in_Pharma_Sales.html

PharmaceuticalSalesCareerOutlook.Pharmaceuticalsalesjobs.org.Retrievedfrom

http://www.pharmaceuticalsalesjobs.org/PharmaceuticalSalesCareerOutlook.html

(2015)PharmaceuticalSalesJobs:Whatdoesthefuturehold?MedReps.com.RetrievedFrom

https://www.medreps.com/medicalsalescareers/futureofpharmaceuticalsalesjobs/

PharmaceuticalSalesRepresentativeJobRequirements.Learn.org.Retrievedfrom
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http://learn.org/articles/Pharmaceutical_Sales_Representative_Job_Requirements_FAQs.

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