Who Pharmacy Sales Representative Should Target
Pharmacy sales representatives are persons saddled with the responsibility of promoting a pharmaceutical product from a company. The products could be drug or non drug product like pharmacy software. There are different approach use in promoting these products.
Most pharma sales reps are registered pharmacist. On very few occasions do we have persons with other degrees. Most of the products these non pharmacist promotes could be softwares. In such a case, a degree in computer science will do.
The job and duty of a pharma sales reps is not as simple as it seems. They provide information and marketing materials about a company's product to medical doctors, increasing awareness about the products. To achieve this, they meet with general practitioner, specialist, pharmacist and other health care professional to tell them about the newest products from their employer and remind them of existing ones. They also take data on the products of their competitors in other to improve on their own marketing strategy.
Read Also: Parmacist Sarary Guide In Nigeria
They must be highly informed, describe the risk and benefits and give detail answers to questions about their products.
Pharma sales reps are assigned an area where they cover. In some other cases, they are directed to visit specified centers. For examples, in Nigeria the government hospitals are supplied drugs based on essential medicine list. Some reps are meant to visit these government agencies responsible for appropriate selection of essential drugs. Others are directed to visit some hospitals in a locality and another may be directed to visit other hospital still within the same locality.
Appointment are generally scheduled during normal working hours. In some cases, they meet practitioners in groups. This could be in clinical meetings with medical doctors. In other cases, visit medical doctors in their offices which may not be convenient for both parties. They also meet with community pharmacist in their shops or during their meeting. That is why they are one of the few pharmacist that enjoy flexible work schedule but require constant travel.
It is a common thing for pharma sales reps to pay some price when visiting medical doctors. It is believed that every medical doctor have a price. Prescribing a pharma sales rep drug will not add to their salary especially in government owned hospitals. To encourage them to prescribed a particular brand, some pharma sales reps pay the price or organised a special dinner at the finest restaurant. It could also be enough data to prove the value of the new product or even friendship. This is not the case when these reps visit the CP. They visit the CP and drop their products with them. Most of the time, they do not give them anything. They believe that selling the drug is enough for the CP as that will give them some profit. But a pharma sales reps who wants to be successful must look deep into some factors.
After spending much for the medical doctors, their choice of a drug is usually based on the Pharm sales reps that satisfies their price as stated above. That is to say as they receive many reps a day, they decides who to favour among them. If a rep did not measure up to their expectations, they ignore their product and go for the one that measured up to. This is not minding the amount spent so far. The reps cannot complain when this happen because they will be bullied that the price was not enough.
As for the product that get the medical doctors blessing, in most cases, the products will not normally be in the hospital pharmacy if the reps did not work with the agency responsible for selecting essential drugs in the country. In that case, the patient will be referred to visit a CP. At this junction, the CP have the final say. What do I mean?
Read Also: Career Opportunity For Pharmacist With Basic Qualities To Be Successful In Nigeria
For products that are not one of those that falls into the special categories like oxytocin, immunoglobulin, vaccines, insulins etc whereby a particular brand is usually prescribe due to the patient condition, the CP can convince the patient to go for an alternative which is different from the brand the medical doctor prescribed. At this point, the pharma sales reps have lose out of the bargain.
Many patients with minor ailments prefer a date with the CP. Also, CP can provide alternative to so many prescription products. For that reason, it is better for pharma sales reps to pay more attention to CP if their products falls into over the counter products or prescription drugs with wide varieties of effective alternative. For example, it will be easier for a CP to prescribe cough syrups than a medical doctor because more patients with those symptoms visit the CP more than the hospital. Also, CP are not that expensive. In some cases, a group of CP accept half of what one medical doctor will not appreciate and yet get better results. The few pharma sales reps who have adopted this model have some positive testimonies.
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| Pharma Sales Reps target |
Most pharma sales reps are registered pharmacist. On very few occasions do we have persons with other degrees. Most of the products these non pharmacist promotes could be softwares. In such a case, a degree in computer science will do.
The job and duty of a pharma sales reps is not as simple as it seems. They provide information and marketing materials about a company's product to medical doctors, increasing awareness about the products. To achieve this, they meet with general practitioner, specialist, pharmacist and other health care professional to tell them about the newest products from their employer and remind them of existing ones. They also take data on the products of their competitors in other to improve on their own marketing strategy.
Read Also: Parmacist Sarary Guide In Nigeria
They must be highly informed, describe the risk and benefits and give detail answers to questions about their products.
Pharma sales reps are assigned an area where they cover. In some other cases, they are directed to visit specified centers. For examples, in Nigeria the government hospitals are supplied drugs based on essential medicine list. Some reps are meant to visit these government agencies responsible for appropriate selection of essential drugs. Others are directed to visit some hospitals in a locality and another may be directed to visit other hospital still within the same locality.
Appointment are generally scheduled during normal working hours. In some cases, they meet practitioners in groups. This could be in clinical meetings with medical doctors. In other cases, visit medical doctors in their offices which may not be convenient for both parties. They also meet with community pharmacist in their shops or during their meeting. That is why they are one of the few pharmacist that enjoy flexible work schedule but require constant travel.
It is a common thing for pharma sales reps to pay some price when visiting medical doctors. It is believed that every medical doctor have a price. Prescribing a pharma sales rep drug will not add to their salary especially in government owned hospitals. To encourage them to prescribed a particular brand, some pharma sales reps pay the price or organised a special dinner at the finest restaurant. It could also be enough data to prove the value of the new product or even friendship. This is not the case when these reps visit the CP. They visit the CP and drop their products with them. Most of the time, they do not give them anything. They believe that selling the drug is enough for the CP as that will give them some profit. But a pharma sales reps who wants to be successful must look deep into some factors.
After spending much for the medical doctors, their choice of a drug is usually based on the Pharm sales reps that satisfies their price as stated above. That is to say as they receive many reps a day, they decides who to favour among them. If a rep did not measure up to their expectations, they ignore their product and go for the one that measured up to. This is not minding the amount spent so far. The reps cannot complain when this happen because they will be bullied that the price was not enough.
As for the product that get the medical doctors blessing, in most cases, the products will not normally be in the hospital pharmacy if the reps did not work with the agency responsible for selecting essential drugs in the country. In that case, the patient will be referred to visit a CP. At this junction, the CP have the final say. What do I mean?
Read Also: Career Opportunity For Pharmacist With Basic Qualities To Be Successful In Nigeria
For products that are not one of those that falls into the special categories like oxytocin, immunoglobulin, vaccines, insulins etc whereby a particular brand is usually prescribe due to the patient condition, the CP can convince the patient to go for an alternative which is different from the brand the medical doctor prescribed. At this point, the pharma sales reps have lose out of the bargain.
What Pharma Sales Reps Can Do
In cases like this, what is the best thing for pharma sales reps to do? Good question.Many patients with minor ailments prefer a date with the CP. Also, CP can provide alternative to so many prescription products. For that reason, it is better for pharma sales reps to pay more attention to CP if their products falls into over the counter products or prescription drugs with wide varieties of effective alternative. For example, it will be easier for a CP to prescribe cough syrups than a medical doctor because more patients with those symptoms visit the CP more than the hospital. Also, CP are not that expensive. In some cases, a group of CP accept half of what one medical doctor will not appreciate and yet get better results. The few pharma sales reps who have adopted this model have some positive testimonies.
Share On Social Media With Family And Friends To Show You Care!
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