Medical sales representative; Hospital sales representative: Hospital representative.

The medical representative is a professional who works for a pharmaceutical company and promotes the pharmaceuticals assigned to him/her. To carry out this occupation, this professional must have a scientific-technical knowledge related to the products s/he promotes, given that s/he must interact with a highly specialised professional category with an excellent command of the technical jargon . His/her main role is to offer physicians accurate and up-to-date technical data regarding the product and to ensure said product goes on to form part of the therapeutic options favoured by the physician who then prescribes it to his/her patients. The medical representative works for one pharmaceutical company exclusively. The representative is assigned a territory and must pay regular visits to physicians in hospitals, clinics and, depending on the products assigned to him/her, also chemists and pharmacies in the area. Unlike the pharmaceutical representative, the medical representative only promotes ethical drugs, that is, medications which require a medical prescription.

• Manage and promote the pharmaceutical product portfolio assigned to him/her.
• Plan and carry out customer visits.
• Call on practitioners in clinics, hospitals and doctor's surgeries.
• Build, promote and maintain relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians.
• Personally share authorised product fact sheet data with physicians.
• Keep customer records up to date with IT application such as ETMS (accessible via mobile devices or palmtops).
• Escort physicians to conferences, seminars and activities sponsored by the pharmaceutical company.
• Maintain contact with the business network of the company.
• Report to the regional sales manager on calls made and results obtained.
• In charge of achieving recognition, sales and product penetration objectives in the allocated geographical area, under the supervision of the regional manager.
  

Regulated training and graduates

• Grau: Biologia
• Grau: Biotecnologia
• Grau: Farmàcia
• Grau: Medicina
• Grau: Química
• Grau: Bioquímica
• Grau: Veterinària

Complementary training

Other specific skills

Communication: Level 3

Analytical thought: Level 2

Initiative: Level 3

Flexibility and change management: Level 2

Customer orientation: Level 2

Orientation within reach: Level 3

Customer service

Direct and personal interaction with people and relating to the public are highly-motivating activities for individuals who have an interest in the field of customer service. A focus on people and on satisfying customers' needs is key in the occupations included in this field. These jobs entail the need to know suitable techniques for attending to the public and being able to give appropriate service that is tailored to their needs and expectations. Good examples are activities which offer assistance and guidance during functions, trips or at facilities, and those which provide advice in relation to products and services.

Communication

Those who show a preference for the field of communication are interested in the generation and dissemination of information. This information, however, can have various purposes: provide information on events and occurrences, generate public opinion on a certain topic or promote and publicise a service or product. Carrying out these activities requires knowledge of various techniques aimed at communication, persuasion and marketing.

Logistics

The planning, organisation, control and carrying out of logistics and administrative tasks are the focus of people who work in the field of logistics. Activities in the field of logistics include the organisation and planning of supply, storage, production and distribution systems, taking inventories, controlling stock and estimating production, as well as the organisation and/or carrying out of the administrative tasks necessary for the implementation of these activities. Knowledge of organisation, control and management techniques is essential for carrying out these activities.

Pharmaceutical product manager

Pharmaceutical regulation technician

Medical writer

Study manager

Crystallography technician

• Work hours

  The work day may be part or full time, either intensive or split shift.
  Medical representatives tend to have a lot of freedom, meaning that they can organise their working day according to their needs.

• Salary

  Gross annual salaries range from 24.539 to 37.045 Euros (this major variation is due to the fact that sales commissions can be negotiated). Median: 30.151 euros annum gross.
  
  Source: Report "Observatory of Jobs and Salaries of the Labour Market. Barcelona Activa", elaborated by ICSA Grupo. April 2015.

• Professional category

  Technician