AboutNigel Simmons Expertise I am happy to answer general questions on medicines and hospital care. If possible, please use approved / chemical names rather than brands which are not internationally recognised.
Like all health professionals I am bound by a duty of care which prevents me giving detailed information about medication or treatment of people other than the questioner.
I will endeavour to help wherever possible or point towards more appropriate advice. If however your question crosses too far into patient confidentiality, I hope you will understand why I cannot answer your question.
Consider.. would you want me to discuss your care with a friend or relative without your knowledge?
Experience Registered as a UK pharmacist in 1982 and have worked in a number of hospital and health management posts around the UK. Formerly Chief Pharmacist for a 440 bed general hospital in Cambridgeshire.
Past/Present clients Previously Sysop on CompuServe UK Professionals forum.
Question can you tell me that when i go for an interview for medical representative the company ask me about several ques eg.
tell me about your self?
how can you convince the doctor he will sale your medicine?
why do you want this job?
etc
can you specified all these type of ques
with their respective answer
i will be very pleased
gurpreet--D.pharm,bsc in chemistry
Answer Gurpreet
The most important thing in any interview situation is to be yourself and be honest. If you do not do this, then it will be very obvious to an experienced interviewer. While it is correct to give consideration to potential interview questions, I obviously cannot give you answers which only you will know.
However, I can give a few pointers which you might wish to consider:
- Being a sales rep requires knowledge of the products you would be selling, and their place in treatment. The company would provide the detail, but saying your priority is to learn as much as possible. Start now with researching the products the company produces, particularly the most recently launched ones as they will be their main area for promoting.
- Successful selling is achieved by building relationships. How would you achieve this?
- Who is the decision maker? If your selling direct to a pharmacy, then it will be different to promoting (detailing) a product to a doctor. In most cases the doctor is the key person, but even they may have people constraining their prescribing freedom. Who are they? Insurance companies, local health service managers etc?
- What about competitors? How can you persuade/encourage a prescriber or manager to change to your product rather than another (which may be cheaper, well established, have a large existing patient base etc.
- Do you build sales on the back of building the relationship?
- What can you do to encourage a prescriber but remain ethical and legal?
- How do you deal with rejection? What if the receptionist won't let you see the doctor, can you find a way to overcome that? What if you get to see the doctor and he refuses to listen, challenges or argues with your promotion, or even throws you out of the building? How would you get back in? How do you face the next appointment and start again?
- How will you cope with pressure from your company? Drug firms first priority is sales. So your first priority will be sales. You will be given targets. What if you can't meet them? What if your manager threatens your future if you aren't making the sales? How will you feel when colleagues are beating you to bonuses etc? Can you learn anything from them?
- Do you have any personal / moral standards? What is your limit? Would you promote a drug you and your company knew to be less safe than others? Would you deny claims of harm to protect sales? Would you promote a drug for any condition the company wants, or do you feel that they are going too far?
Being a rep is exceptionally hard work, and from my experience the failure rate is high. The rewards can be very good, but it needs persistance, long hours. If you take doctors out for a meal or to a conference, you cannot leave before the last of them and you have to be up first the next morning.
