Role of Medical Representative

Role of Medical Representative

Role of medical representative is to create demand for an existing product or launch new product ensuring availability at retailers and stockiest.

The role of Medical Representative is very challenging. They represent the total company in a given territory. They have to work hard from morning to midnight at different hospitals, clinics, doctor's chambers, pharmacies etc. They have to meet with different types of people doctors, nurses, pharmacy owners, clinic’s managers and even sometimes with general people. They have to achieve their target by generating prescriptions. They need to earn knowledge regarding the human body and microbiology. They need to be master in product knowledge, selling skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, and time management to become a good Medical Representative.

Medical Representatives are the building blocks of a company. They form the platform of the company in front of customers and share the vision, promote the products of the company and achieves the given objectives, in turn, which get converted into revenue for the company.

Medical representatives are the key point of contact between pharmaceutical and medical companies and health care professionals, promoting product awareness, answering queries, providing advice and introducing new products. Excellent sales skills are a key requirement for medical representatives.

 

Responsibilities and Role of Medical Representative

• Launching new products in the market
• Sales Achievement
• Customer Support and Customer Service
• Pharma Product Promotion
• Market Feedback about the product
• Company Representation
• Record Keeping and Reporting

 

Daily Activities of Medical Representative / Medical Representative Day

A typical day may involve one-on-one meetings with doctors, pharmacists or nurses in their offices or places of business to monitor their supply of drugs and to inform them of forthcoming changes. The representative will introduce them to new products from his company. In the afternoon, he might visit hospitals to meet with doctors on staff to persuade them to purchase his products.

 

How to become a Medical Representative

It costs millions to produce a drug and to sell them in this competitive pharmaceutical business world. The pharma industries need people who can sell their products to the doctors, pharmacists, and chemists. These companies recruit the medical representatives (Sales Representative) for the purpose of introducing their new products to the doctors, pharmacists, chemists or other healthcare professionals who regularly prescribe medicines to the patients.

Medical representatives specialize in one area and make the health professionals prescribe the particular product of their company. Their job is to promote the existing medicine to the doctors, pharmacists, and chemists. They discuss the clinical usage, dosages, etc. with the pharmacists and doctors.

Medical representatives (MR) are the people who perform key communication between the medical professionals and the drug manufacturing companies. Their responsibilities also include the promotion of the company's products to the GPs and doctors in the hospitals. For this purpose, they have to do a one-to-one communication or meetings with those medical professionals.

Qualifying Exam

Those who wish to be a medical representative (MR) should acquire a bachelor’s degree in a related field. The specialization in pharmacy, business or healthcare is preferred. Those, who have qualified in another field can also be a medical representative. However, they will have to take to some training session about the diseases and related drugs in which they want to specialize. Some pharmaceutical companies prefer candidates with a qualification in business or biosciences, while some other companies prefer candidates with sales backgrounds.

Who is eligible to apply?

Candidates who have pursued the higher secondary education with biology and mathematics from any reputed schools/institutions can join for the bachelor’s degree in related field. Some top universities offer the related programs like pharmacy, biosciences, healthcare, and business of four years duration. The admission to the schools/institutions will be based on entrance tests organized by them.

Key points in the process

• Study Higher Secondary with biology and mathematics from any recognized institutions and secure good marks in the examination.
• Find the colleges or universities which offer pharmacy biosciences, or healthcare and pursue the bachelors’ degree.
• Acquire some experience in the medical industry to get an exposure. This will help them to get more chances while looking for the medical representative jobs.
• Improve skills by attending some seminars or classes in the related medicine subjects. Some companies offer specific training according to the candidates’ level of experience in the field.
• Get the certifications that expose your potential and skills in the same field.

• Search for the jobs in the companies that recruit medical representative (MR) and apply for it.

Medical Representative Skills

Interpersonal skills are required to develop trust and rapport that are a necessary part of the sales process. You must be able to speak the language of the medical profession by becoming familiar with complex medical terms and procedures. You will need to be able to manage your time and project a highly professional image in the market.

• Ability to take a challenge
• Be willing to work hard
• Should be well groomed
• Should be polite and gentle
• Should be dedicated and determined
• Good knowledge regarding the human body and Microbiology
• Should have sound product knowledge
• Ability to generate prescriptions
• Ability to achieve sales target
• Should be self-confident
• Should have patience
• Should be expert in selling skills
• Should have Problem-solving skills
• Should know how to handle objections
• Should have the good interpersonal skill
• Should have good communications skill
• Preferably Science background
• Willingness to meet with different types of people
• Ability to handle different types of customers
• Should be able to handle the adverse situation
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to select the right product for the right customers
• Ability to give the right information to the right doctors
• Should be able to Pursue customers
• Should be well accepted by customers
• Should be Punctual
• Should be able to read customer’s mind
• Ability to extensive travel
• Disciplined
• Good listening skill
• Ability to learn quickly
• Should be good at English
• Should have analytical skills
• Should have good detailing ability
• Ability to buildup Relationship with customers
• Judicious utilization of promo materials
• Ability to follow management instruction
• Well mannered
• Creative in problem-solving
• Should possess a positive attitude
• Should be loyal to management
• Ability to explore Opportunities
• Self-motivated
• Ability to work independently
• Knowledge regarding time management
• Ability to organize a scientific seminar
• Ability to make an effective sales presentation
• Ability to make an effective tour plan
• Ability to handle competitor’s propaganda
• Ability to stick with the assignment until the job is completed

 

We hope, you have understood the role of medical representative in the pharmaceutical industry. If you are looking for a job in the pharmaceutical industry then do check our career page.