When it comes to icebreakers at a dinner party medical reps are never stuck. Asked their occupation, replying: “I sell drugs” is a surefire jaw dropper.
Those guests not too shocked to inquire further will discover that being a Pharmaceutical or Medical Rep is to be part of a hugely competitive multi-billion pound global industry – and one that is expected to steadily grow over the next decade.
Scotland’s association with drugs is well known – and, no, we’re most certainly not talking about the Trainspotting kind of link.
From Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in the 1920s to the many life science companies working on drug discovery and development in Scotland today, we have made many telling contributions to the world of medical science.
Scotland is also seeing a rapid growth of specialist pharmaceutical firms, with one of our most recent successes being a firm in the Scottish Borders whose portfolio now includes an anti-nausea skin patch for cancer patients.
Drug companies spend millions of pounds every day developing new drugs, many of which never even make it to market.
As such, it’s a costly business to be in, and so, it’s crucial firms see a return on their investment.
That’s where Medical Reps come in. They’re the ones getting medicines and products into the marketplace and recouping some of that money for investors and shareholders.
Fundamentally, the job is about selling but medical sales is different to most other Sales jobs in that you are selling to people who are experts in their fields. This means Reps not only have to know their products inside out but have some medical knowledge too.
An understanding of medical culture and hierarchy is also helpful.
Of course, this knowledge can be acquired working in the field and many sales professionals come to this specialist sector having first honed their skills as Sales Executives and Account Managers in fields as diverse as construction and cars, des res and digital.
Medical Sales actually covers two very different fields: pharmaceutical and healthcare. A Pharmaceutical Rep promotes medicines and a Medical or Healthcare Rep sells a wide range of products, from bandages and prosthetic devices to state-of-the-art hospital scanners.
Customers include GPs, Consultants, Nurses, Pharmacists, Practice Managers and Care Home Managers.
For salespeople interested in medical procedures or who mainline reruns of ER and Casualty, a career as a Healthcare Rep offers the chance to work alongside Clinicians. It is not unusual for a rep to be in the operating theatre, advising Surgeons on how to use artificial joints or a heart pacemaker.
A day in the life of a rep might involve making appointments with Doctors, Nurses and Pharmacists, travelling to see them, giving presentations on medicines, and learning about new products.
Reps usually cover a specific geographical area and, as in most travelling Sales jobs, their company car is their office.
The nature of the job means sales targets but good Medical Sales Reps can be very well rewarded with salaries of £40,000 plus bonuses.
For experienced reps looking to career development, moves might include moving into NHS liaison, Account Management or training junior medical Sales Reps. As many pharmaceutical companies are multinational there are also opportunities to work abroad.
If you’re interested in medical matters and nursing a desire to sell, a career in medical sales could just be what the doctor ordered.
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