Chapter 1 - So You Want A Career in Pharmaceutical Sales Flashcards
Pharmaceuticals are arguably the most socially important healthcare products. True or False?
True.
What have pharmaceuticals been used extensively to promote since the late 20th century?
“Wellness” disease prevention (e.g. vaccines) and as early interventions for people at high risk for certain conditions.
What two things have become more prominent goals for patients, healthcare providers, and the pharmaceutical companies in recent years?
Quality of life and lifestyle enhancement.
Pharmaceutical development is a high-risk undertaking, in which many promising leads prove disappointing. True or False?
True.
Blockbuster level drugs typically produce how much in annual sales?
Over $1 billion.
How much does the global pharmaceutical industry generate in annual revenue and how many people do they employ?
$950 billion and 1.7 million people.
Which three countries produce the largest portion of the world’s pharmaceutical revenue?
The U.S., Western Europe, and Japan.
Which two factors have contributed significantly to recent growth in the pharmaceutical industry?
Population growth and increased life expectancies.
How much longer can a person expect to live today compared to the late 1800s?
Over 30 years longer.
Senior citizens consume ____ _____ times as many medications as people under the age of 65.
over 3
Pharmaceutical companies joining genomic companies to establish genomic research facilities will prove profitable in the near term. True or false?
False.
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) act as intermediaries between which two entities?
Pharmaceutical companies and large drug purchasers.
Driving economies of scale, PBMs can sell drugs by mail at lower prices than retail pharmacies. True or false?
True.
The high cost of medicines is the cause of increasing healthcare costs. True or false?
False.
What percentage of the total healthcare costs in the U.S. are related to expenditures for prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals?
8%.
Which federal organization regulates the introduction of new drugs and enforces the United States drug laws?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA approval time is shorter than in past years and the number of approved drugs is rising. The average review time for a new drug is _____ months, down from almost ________ years in 1996.
18 and 3.
Restrictions regarding limitations on Sales Reps concerning “off label” or unapproved uses of their products have been increased. True or false?
False.
What two main categories does the marketing of prescription drugs fall into?
Professional physician promotions and direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising.
How many geographic regions do most sales organizations divide the country into?
5 to 10.
Each district within region typically includes how many territories?
8-12.
The heart of the pharmaceutical sales team is the Regional Manager (RM). True or false?
False.
Which individual is the main point of contact for the sales representatives?
The District Manager (DM).
Give an example of the regionalization of healthcare delivery systems.
Prescription reimbursement is different in California than it is in Florida.
What is the main role of the National Account Manager (NAM)?
To negotiate product purchasing contracts with major MCOs and giant pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
What is the most effective method of grabbing market share?
Comparative selling.
What must a sales rep know to be effective at comparative selling?
Patient demographics of the practice.
Whose job is it to provide valid, proven, R&D based info about the company’s medication?
Pharmaceutical Sales Rep
Whose job is it to provide valid, proven, R&D based info about the company’s medication?
Pharmaceutical Sales Rep
How is the selling process in Pharma sales completely different than other fields?
In many fields, once the sale is closed, the relationship between the Rep and the Client ends. Pharma Reps must initiate, establish and maintain a relationship with a physician, often for many years.
The Pharma Rep will try to sell on every visit. True or False?
True.
Verifying that the physician understands and believes in the scientific rationale for using the medicine is called the _______ in the pharmaceutical selling process.
The “close.”
Pharmaceuticals are arguably the most socially important healthcare products. True or False?
True.
In what ways have pharmaceuticals played a role in every facet of the healthcare system in the 20th century?
(4 ways).
Eradicated diseases, reduced deaths from pandemics, increased life-expectancy, and promote wellness and prevention.
In recent years, what has been the primary goal of patients, healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical industry?
Quality of life/lifestyle enhancement.