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What does a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative do?

A pharmaceutical sales representative educates medical practitioners, pharmacists and consumers about specific pharmaceutical products of a company. In a business sense, a representative has an indirect impact on the number of sales, which is a unique and intellectual challenge. This position requires extensive knowledge of medicine, excellent persuasion skills, willingness to travel and analytical skills in detecting prescription patterns, which makes the high salary and additional commissions worth the effort.

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Working as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

  1. Visit pharmacists and medical practitioners at regular intervals to ensure maximum outreach of the pharmaceutical brand represented.
  2. Provide comprehensive descriptions of medicines, chemical compositions, medical conditions affected and any side effects.
  3. Provide comparison of statistics with similar medicines from other brands with competitive pricing, enhanced profit margins and effective commissions.
  4. Conduct sales meetings, seminars, conferences and educational programs on behalf of company to increase the awareness about advertised products.
  5. Accompany lead representatives and create new supply chain management systems for potential customers.
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How much does a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative make in the United States?

Average base salary

$77,997
Average $77,997
Low $48,041
High $126,631
Non-cash benefit
401(k)
View more benefits

The average salary for a pharmaceutical sales representative is $77,997 per year in the United States. 1k salaries reported, updated at September 22, 2023

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Where can a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative earn more?

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How much do similar professions get paid in United States?

Sales Specialist

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Average $77,071 per year

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Common questions about for a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

What is the (CNPR) training program?

CNPR is a training program designed to ensure that an entry-level sales applicant has met industrial requirements in products and their regulations to be a pharmaceutical sales representative. It is administered by National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Reps (NAPSR). Its goal is to educate and train candidates in topics about the pharmaceutical industry such as human anatomy, pharmaceutical terms and abbreviations, drug patents, FDA regulations, CDER regulations, laws governing the pharmaceutical industry, drug sampling rules, effective physician selling skills and drug efficacy.

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