http://pharmavet.medzilla.com PharmaVet on MedZilla.com Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:37:38 PDT http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 en http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1216234790-42997 In 2002, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) instituted the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals, commonly called The PhRMA Code. This voluntary code set forth guidelines for pharmaceutical industry interactions with members of the healthcare community. Just a few days ago, PhRMA released PhRMA Code v2.0, which will be effective January 2009, in response to growing concern that doctors might be swayed to prescribe inappropriate or expensive medications in re . . . Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:59:50 PDT http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1214458776-41697 Some of the most entertaining pharmaceutical sales stories revolve around the 'lunch and learn'. It's a necessary evil...most pharma reps despise catering lunch to medical offices but realize that it's sometimes the only way to get any time with a prescriber. Some of my favorite stories:Years ago I had scheduled lunch many months in advance with a key office. There were two physicians and assorted staff, and I called the day before to confirm that both physicians would be there. I wa . . . Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:39:36 PDT http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1210006587-38617 If you're serious about finding a job, you need to be equally serious about making sure that you present yourself impeccably and appropriately on paper. The first impression of you that a prospective employer gets will most likely come from your resume and cover letter, so they need to be perfect. So let's talk about how you should present yourself on paper -- resumes, cover letters, and thank-you letters.RESUMES Every job seeker knows that a great resume is essential. What isn't quite as . . . Mon, 05 May 2008 09:56:27 PDT http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1206044705-35581 As I keep an eye on the MedZilla pharmaceutical sales forums, I've noticed a steady increase in the frequency of questions from concerned job-seekers asking whether this industry will be around in five or ten years and whether it's even worth it to try to break in.The pharma industry isn't going anywhere. The business model has changed before (albeit slightly) in pharma and will again – and it must. While pharma is broadening its horizons and trying different, nontraditional ways to dri . . . Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:25:05 PDT http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1188447928-19489 Someone recently asked me to write about what makes for a successful management field ride in pharmaceutical sales. The question is a good one because most pharmaceutical sales reps treat their manager's time in the field with them as something to be endured. A smart rep realizes that their manager must have done something right in order to be promoted out of field sales, and there may be a thing or two to learn from him or her.The most basic thing to remember is that you need to make your manager fe . . . Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:25:28 PDT http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1166243647-93706 Corporate credit cards are a topic of great interest to prospective pharmaceutical sales representatives. Many are dismayed to learn that a personal credit check is part of the hiring process. Companies in most industries now run credit checks on all prospective hires. Originally this was to make sure that employees who handle the company's or its customers' money or accounts, or who have the authority to incur debts in the company's name, have a clean financial history. The practice has . . . Fri, 15 Dec 2006 20:34:07 PST http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1165718544-92959 Ah, the holidays. The most wonderful time of the year...hot buttered rum in front of a cozy fire, friends and neighbors dropping by for cookies and caroling...it's just like a made-for-TV movie. Except that your last nerve is wearing thin because you're worrying about whether or not to give your district manager a holiday gift.The short answer: don't give your boss a gift. The traditional etiquette rule on gifts between boss and subordinate is that you gift down, not up. This means that . . . Sat, 09 Dec 2006 18:42:24 PST http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1165288203-92349 Sales force cutbacks are nothing new in pharmaceuticals. Although the industry as a whole has traditionally been quite stable, the individual companies within it are much more volatile. The nature of the beast is that its companies' sales forces expand and contract in a cyclical fashion, almost like it's breathing.Last week, Pfizer announced that it will downsize its U.S. sales force by 20% by the end of this month. This will directly affect approximately 2,200 Pfizer sales representatives and . . . Mon, 04 Dec 2006 19:10:03 PST http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1164583297-91407 There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it. -- Dale CarnegieIt's a fact of life that the way you present yourself to others may not make your career, but can certainly break it. Landing a good job is difficult under the best of circumstances, and for each job opening there will be only one winner. It's of critical importance, then, that you contro . . . Sun, 26 Nov 2006 15:21:37 PST http://pharmavet.medzilla.com/forum.php?lxpe=147&lxptc=1163548051-90203 The pharmaceutical industry is well known for being very difficult to get into, especially if you don't have prior pharmaceutical sales experience or at least outside B2B sales experience. It's very hard to get attention from recruiters and employers. Then, once you start getting calls, it's hard to get that first face to face interview. Getting through a company's interview process can be grueling, and it's crushingly disappointing to get all the way through the process and lear . . . Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:47:31 PST