drug/medical rep...and other careers to branch out

[zakkaz]

Hi could people share their views and thoughts on the above, from what they know from others and their own experiences please, particularly:

- can it be done full or part time
- how I go about looking for vacancies (nothing on CDJobs)
- is it true 'anyone can do it', and it isn't very specialised knowledge-wise
- salary, per hour/annum
- day to day details...is it a case of getting briefed on new drugs and being a sales person
- potential for progression within the industrial pharmacy, is it possible
- is MPharm sufficient, or are other things needed (proven sales record? Which I wouldn't have as a locum)

Any other info/advice much appreciated. Anyone actually done it?

Also, been locuming for a few years and fancy branching out. Community manager is not for me...I value my sanity and have a life!!

So along with med rep, anyone have experiences of: hospital locum (straight from community), prescribing (in the climate of scrapped pct's and gp's hoarding cash), clinical diploma (worth it financially and career wise), working in some form in the nhs...medicines managment (what else? And what other qualifications would be required?)

Any specific websites with jobs and descriptions/further info would be great too.

[Nik]

Hosp locum from community - not a chance. Hosps nowadays will try and get cover from pharmacists within their trusts if they need extra hours covering or at least will look within the hosp pharmacy sphere.
Clinical diploma - if self funded then all the best with it. However unless you have some hands on practice (ideally hosp) whilst you're doing the diploma then you may find it difficult to get into a band 7 job straight away. Some hosps also might have a current freeze on recruitment for the next year or two. Alternative could be a community pharmacy or primary care based qualification which could help in primary care pharmacy. But who knows what jobs will be available next year when the GP's get their hands on the NHS budget.
In today's pharm industry environment, it's not true that "anyone" can become a rep. As well as R+D sites closing eg Pfizer in Kent and AZ in Charnwood sales forces are being cut as companies look to their very best sales reps to market their new drugs. A relative of mine has worked as a rep for three different companies over the last three years.
Sorry if this sounds a bit blunt and negative but although these options might not be impossible they're certainly difficult.

[johnep]

I was a rep in the hey day of the 60s and again in the 90s following redundancy. Took a drop in pay from community of 20% but had the following to compensate:
1) Company car with all expenses paid. Top end Sierra then Mondeo.
2) £6/day lunch allowance, probably doubled to day.
3) miscellaneous expenses all paid
4) No working at weekends. (I actually did locums)
5) Holidays when you wanted at any time of year. (I always stopped work on 21st Dec and went back on 4th Jan).
6) Conferences abroad (Denmark, Malta, Majorca, Florida, Portugal, Sardinia, Istanbul). Others went to Borneo. South Africa and Moscow.
7) Time at office on training courses, often staying in nice hotels.
8) Sometimes an afternoon off or early start home. (I worked in West London and essential to leave by 4pm latest to avoid rush hour)
9) No risk of dispensing error.
10) If snowed in, stayed at home with clear conscience and did work at home.

Downside was not the actual sales element, but getting into see GPs who regarded reps generally as a nuisance. Receptionists considered reps as something on the sole of their shoe. Essential to keep polite. I learnt that in community!

I enjoyed calling on hospitals much more and did only this for last 18 months (stayed on after 65th birthday).
The usual place to find reps jobs was Daily Telegraph on a Thursday.

I used to enjoy the occasional tussle with hospital pharmacists who bleated on about evidence based medicine,and then, when presented with incontrovertible evidence, changed to saying 'Emma Chisit'? I used to say that if the product in question cost 1p/million more than what they were using, it was too expensive, if it saved £1,000s of pounds, must be another good reason why they should not use it. Fortunately, I usually had the consultants on my side.

johnep

[pharmer7]

How would you say the salary was for a drug rep compared to being a locum or pharmacy manager?

[johnep]

Already said 20% and expect same today to start. In industry I was getting 22k, went down to 15K after redundancy and having to go into community, then from community went down to 13k. This was nearly 30 years ago.
I have listed the tax free perks of being a rep. Always comforting to know can return to community if does not work out.
you can make up part of the difference by week end locums.
johnep