Different Medical sales jobs

Medical sales - 'Ethical' or 'pharmaceutical' or 'Medical' representatives.

Probably the most common role within the industry is usually called a Medical representative, or Medical rep for short. This refers to the sales of presecription only medicines (POMs). Typically, this role involves visists to community Doctor's surgeries in the morning, including calls on GPs, practise nurses and practise managers. The afternoons are usually spent in secondary care visiting hospitals with calls on hospital doctors, pharmacists and nurses.

Medical Sales - Healthcare or medical equipment sales

Healthcare sales jobs, or Medical equipment jobs cover a range of positions which involve the sale of items, rather than drugs, from gloves and bandages right through to surgical tools and X-ray machines. These don't come under the umbrella of 'ethical' sales and tend to be more 'commercial' in nature. In particular some medical equipment sales roles involving expensive items of capital equipment which can attarct very large commission structures.

The sales of bandages comes under the umbrella of 'woundcare' which is primarily selling bandages in hospitals, the main customers here being nurses, who use the product, and buyers who have the job of getting the best deals. Once again this has a commercial edge not present in ethical sales where price negotioations are not part of the role.

Medical sales - Retail representative

A dying role now that is almost extinct. This role involves the sales of OTC (over the counter) medicines to retail pharmacies. Over past years, retail pharmacists would buy their stock from visiting reps to try and get a good deal. Their ability to buy cheaper would have a direct impact on their profit margin.

Unfortunately, over the years, pharmacists have realised that clubing together into buying groups increases their negotiating power to get a better deal and hence bigger profits. the bigger the buying groups, the bigger the profits. Hence, there have effectively become much fewer, much larger customers to sell to. Hence, selling roles in this area are now called National Account Managers. These are highly commercial roles negotiating big deals on high salaries with large bonuses.

Packages for Medical sales - Training in Medical Sales - Salaries in Medical sales