Pharmaceutical Job Candidates: Stand Out With CMR
Pharmaceutical Job Candidates: Stand Out With CMR
The pharmaceutical job market is extremely competitive. One way for potential applicants to stand out from the crowd is to become a Certified Medical Representative (CMR). The Certified Medical Representative Institute has recently launched a pre-hire program, designed for someone interested in entering the biopharmaceutical arena. The program is designed to provide basic knowledge that would help make someone a better candidate or provide deeper knowledge to enhance their abilities in a potential position.
When I obtained my CMR, I found that the training was excellent. Adding the CMR designation to my business card also demonstrated that I had received training that went above and beyond the industry standard.
CMR’s latest program covers the following topics:
The Biopharmaceutical Industry
- Overview of the Drug Development Process
- Promotion and Advertising in Pharmaceuticals
The Sales Environment
- The Evolution of Managed Care
- Healthcare Insurance Plans and Healthcare Financiers
The Science of Medicine
- Systems of the Body
- Evaluation of Disease
- Medical Terminology
The Science of Pharmacology
- Basic Principles of Drug Actions
- Classification of Pharmaceutical Products
The Biopharmaceutical Representative’s Job
- The Role of the Biopharmaceutical Representative
- Elements of Good Communication
- The Business Planning Process
For more information, check out the CMR Institute.
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Scary Things Doctors Do: New Investigative Tool for Patients
Most doctors do wonderful things. They take care of their patients and work very hard. I’m married to a fantastic doctor, so I know they exist. However, having spent 15 years as a pharmaceutical representative, I saw some scary things out there. It’s important to keep in mind that someone had to graduate last in their class. Here is a list of things that I actually saw occur in doctors’ offices while I was in the field.
- Illegal drug use in doctor’s office – There was one office where the receptionist actually had her boyfriend shoot something (I assume heroine) into her arm while I talked to her through the glass partition that separated the waiting room from the doctor’s area. The reaction she got from the medication made it clear it was some form of illegal substance.  The doctor walked right by and had no reaction.
- Doctors popping pills – There was one doctor I called on who would take Prozac while he chatted, bragging, “I take these things to lose weight.”  This same guy was always popping some form of pill, usually for an off-label use.
- Doctors committing fraud – Another doctor in my territory was arrested for charging the government for testing blood that he never actually tested.
- Doctors not using best medications to save money – I called on a doctor who once told me that he would not prescribe a drug that he thought he was good for his patients because, as he put it, “that comes out of my budget . . . if they go to the ER, someone else pays for it.” He had no problem telling me that he didn’t mind if his patients suffered if it meant he could make a few more bucks from the HMO.
- Doctors getting paid by pharmaceutical companies – It is not unusual for a doctor to get paid to speak for certain pharmaceutical companies. I remember calling on a particular doctor who made it very clear that he not only spoke for a particular company but also had a great deal of stock in that company. Because of this relationship, he had no intention of using competitive products even if they were better.
The good news is that the Internet allows for patients investigate issues with their doctors. According to the article, How To Find Out if Your Doctor and Drugmakers Are In A Relationship, “The nonprofit investigative journalism outfit ProPublica has a tool you can use to see how much money your doctor has received from drug companies.” To find out if your doctor is profiting from drug companies, click here to go to the ProPublica site.
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Pharmaceutical Job Cuts
I was a pharmaceutical representative for over 15 years. I have a lot of people contact me, asking for tips about how to get into that industry. If you are considering pharmaceutical sales, this may not be the best time. Many of the big companies have been cutting back their sales forces.  The company I worked for used to co-market a drug with Abbott Pharmaceuticals. Pharmatimes.com reported today,“Abbott Laboratories is planning to cut around 3% of its workforce over the next two years, with the vast majority affecting Solvay Pharmaceuticals, acquired for 5.2 billion euros by the US major in February.” Abbott isn’t the only pharmaceutical company hitting hard times.Â
A friend of mine who worked for Glaxo recently was offered an early retirement package to help reduce some of their sales force.
According to Fiercepharma.com, “The cuts come as some of the industry’s biggest players–Pfizer, Wyeth, Merck, Schering-Plough, and Roche–integrate the major buyouts they made in 2009. In order to squeeze out the most efficiency from a mega-merger, these companies must cut headcount to reduce overall costs. It’s an ongoing process that will continue to impact the industry’s job cuts levels.”
Pharma Layoffs by Month, 2010
Month Layoffs January 8,170 February 25,875 March 308 April 1,049 May 6,943 June 830 July 2,023 August 255 TOTAL 37,265