NAPSR Pharmaceutical Sales Training Manual

Pharmaceutical knowledge is the basic building block in securing relationships with physician customers."

 

I sort of feel obligated to enter this conversation, if only to shed a ray of light on to the big picture. That being...I've never seen a job posting asking for, requiring, or hinting that having any of these certifications is a bonus to getting either an interview or hired by a pharma company.
Seriously people, if it was that important to obtain the said certification don't you think more real life reps would be jumping on the bandwagon sharing the merits they gained?

Anyone who says it's a worthwhile certification has either taken the course and looking to unload the costly books or works for the company.
Getting a sales job in pharmaceuticals is directly related to the amount and type of sales experience you have, period.
If you're looking to break into pharmaceutical sales I suggest getting a job in traditional outside sales, exceeding goals, and sending your resume in without the addition of any of these "certifications".
Sorry to burst your bubble Mr. NAPSR

 

Pharmaceutical sales reps who call on hospitals must provide documentation and certification in order to gain access to their customers.

See for yourself on MEDREPS.COM at: http://www.medreps.com/medical-sales-careers/medical-sales-rep-credentialing/#sthash.mo1NepFm.dpuf

 

Most people understand why hospitals require this type of information and credentialing from reps when entering their ORs and other patient care areas; the requirements are safety measures put in place to protect the patients, and no one has a problem with that. No, the problem with the current pharmaceutical sales rep credentialing process lies in the many sources where you can get the education.

 

Several years ago, a group of organizations attempted to address the first problem by issuing a Joint Best Practices Recommendation for Clinical Health Care Industry Representatives (HCIRs). Led by organizations like the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) and the Association of peri-Operative Registered Nurses (AORN), this group suggested hospitals focus on the following credentialing criteria:

Health Vaccinations
Product and/or General Liability Insurance
Background Verification
Hospital Unit Orientation/Policies and Procedures
Training Documentation

Much of the industry is assimilating around these recommendations, but there are still no uniform requirements. Each facility ultimately determines their own credentialing policy, and many then look to a credentialing company to help them enforce it. Medical sales reps must provide the necessary documents to the credentialing company associated with each hospital they call on. This leads to the second major problem mentioned above – the repetitive costs associated with this process. Each credentialing company charges a fee, sometimes on a per-hospital basis.

 

Slip on a pair of green scrubs and most people will assume you belong in a hospital. But medical sales reps know it takes a lot more than scrubs to gain access to your customers at the hospitals where they work. They must have the right credentials.

 

Pharmaceutical sales reps work best when there are in compliance and credentialing, and the industry is proud that hundreds of national and regional hospitals participate in certification credentialing— plus some of the leading healthcare suppliers and pharmaceutical companies in the nation —trust us to protect them from the bad guys.

 

The CphT, CMR and CNPR set the standard for vendor credentialing in healthcare! A bold statement, but one that’s proven time and time again at facilities and vendors across the country. They partner with GPOs, hospital systems, regional hospitals, surgery centers, long term care facilities, offsite medical offices and more… as well as thousands and thousands of suppliers and vendor representatives.

 

Late last year, the National Hospital Association drew up a set of recommended vendor-credentialing guidelines for its members in an effort to gain statewide consistency in their credentialing requirements.

 

Which program is best for a pharmaceutical sales rep?

 

Every company will have some individual requirements that must be clearly understood and acknowledged by pharmaceutical and healthcare sales reps in order to maintain the safety of the patients. This might include something as simple as understanding pharmacology, pharmacodynamics to all the way to emergency codes and exit routes.

 

More recently, companies have begun imposing additional measures, such as physician/representative sponsorship letters, badge fees, liability waivers, codes of conduct, gift disclosure requirements, and patient consent and confidentiality requirements. Background checks may now include drug screens, checks of sex offender registries, and searches to determine whether the applicant has been sanctioned, excluded, or debarred from federal programs. Many hospitals also continue to use their physician credentialing process to credential HCIRs.

 

Fw........ More recently, hospitals have begun imposing additional measures, such as physician/representative sponsorship letters, badge fees, liability waivers, codes of conduct, gift disclosure requirements, and patient consent and confidentiality requirements. Background checks may now include drug screens, checks of sex offender registries, and searches to determine whether the applicant has been sanctioned, excluded, or debarred from federal programs. Many hospitals also continue to use their physician credentialing process to credential HCIRs.

 

One way to alleviate some of these problems could be the adoption of uniform HCIR credentialing. Until then, companies now should be evaluating whether credentialing requirements are reasonably related to patient.

 

Some pharmaceutical companies have even encountered hospitals who have sought performance information on applicant HCIRs.

 

Do you know which ones??