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One of the hottest sales careers out there is in pharm sales. This field has always been a very popular career to get into but to many outsiders, there are a lot of questions about pharm sales. Here are some of the more common pharm sales que

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

stions and answers.

What do pharm sales reps actually do?

"Pharm sales reps promote the use of their company’s drug products to mainly physicians, pharmacists and nurses. They also make sure that pharmacies have enough stock o

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

their company’s drug products on the shelves."

"The term pharm sales rep is also interchangeable with such terms as pharma rep, pharmaceutical sales representative, drug representative and sometimes medical sales rep. But medical sales could

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

lso mean the sales of medical equipment and devices rather than drugs."

What qualifications do I need in order to become a pharm sales rep?

"Normally, a college or university degree is required plus above average communica

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

ions skills."

Do I need a science degree for pharm sales?

"No, one doesn’t necessarily have to have a science degree as there have been many people who entered the pharmaceutical sales industry from many various background

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

s including degrees in business and arts. But having said that, you better have the capacity to learn the science that will be required to sell pharmaceuticals."

"Training departments of pharma companies will train their pharm reps in all aspe

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

ts of the science that is required. A prior science background will be helpful but is not absolutely required."

Would I need previous sales experience to get into pharm sales?

"Again, much like a science background, sales

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

xperience would be helpful but is not absolutely necessary. If you can demonstrate that you have above average communications skills as evidenced by other prior activities and have a sales aptitude, you can become a pharm sales rep. The company

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

training departments will train new reps on how to effectively sell to healthcare professionals."

"Of course, somebody with a proven sales history will be a top candidate for a pharm sales position but others without prior sales experience can

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

also get into the field successfully provided that their communications skills are above average."

How much money can I make as a pharm sales representative?

"The potential is a lot. Recent graduates without any experienc

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

could start in the mid $30,000s to $40,000s but after a few years, this level can easily go to $50,000s to $70,000s. Bonuses for high performers can push overall incomes to six figures. Don’t forget the other perks that come with the job like

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

ompany car, travel and excellent company benefits. A company car package alone is worth a few thousand dollars."

Do pharm sales reps get company cars?

"Big pharmaceutical companies will usually have fleet company cars for

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

heir sales forces. Small companies with smaller sales forces may not have fleet company cars but in these cases, they will give you a car allowance if you drive your own vehicle on the job. It will still end up being a financial perk."

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

> What is the best way to find and apply for pharm sales positions?

"Of course one can always apply online to companies, recruiters and use resume distribution services but the main problem here is that everyone else will be using t

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

at same route as well. The potential of getting lost in the masses is extremely high. This is one of the major reasons why many people find the pharma industry so tough to break into. There is a high demand for the available openings out there

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

esulting in fierce competition for jobs."

"The better way for people to find and get pharm sales jobs is to network with the right people who have the power to hire you or who can give a personal recommendation to get you hired. It’s more work

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

this way but there is significantly less competition. A lot of individuals will at first find this route too challenging since it is much easier to submit applications online these days. But the online shotgun distribution route will usually no

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

t get you very far."

"Getting in the trenches to get to the right people is actually a sales type of activity and if you went through that trouble to get your name and resume in front of a hiring sales manager, that person will be impressed."<

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

i>

How does one start an effective job search then?

"The first step is to get the proper knowledge on the best ways to prepare and conduct your campaign. You want to be fully prepared before you get yourself in front of indust

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

y people and you want to know the best routes to the jobs. Find some published resources with inside knowledge that will help you towards this. Then apply this knowledge as you begin to meet industry people who can help you along further."

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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Digg It - Pharm Sales, Questions and Answers about the Job

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