I just read a decent article from this week’s San Francisco Chronicle regarding the changes taking place within the pharmaceutical industry as well as the pharmaceutical sales representative’s job responsibilities.  For those of you considering a career in pharmaceutical sales, I would recommend taking the time to read this article:

 The Changing Face of Pharmaceutical Sales – San Francisco Chronicle

I agree that one of the biggest challenges facing a pharmaceutical representative is the limited amount of face time in front of a physician. I hear this feedback repeatedly from friends in the industry. It requires some creativity, a solid relationship and some uniqueness to stand out from the other reps that are bombarding these physicians.

One concept the article discusses that I do not agree with is a tool put out by Time-Concepts.com that is “paying providers for taking the time to speak with sales reps.”  Doesn’t seem ethical and not sure how this practice can be done without violating some of the strict new regulations put in place to monitor the healthcare industry.