Pharma Sales Reps and Medical Science Liaisons

Do the Right Thing

Based on recent observations and work that led me to post about sales reps caring about compliance, I wrote an article for Pharmaceutical Representative magazine. My article called “Do the Right Thing” – a master class in working with MSLs, handling off-label requests and maintaining your integrity – came out in the May 2011 issue [...]

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Two Recession-Proof Healthcare Careers, Part 1

Drug companies have been laying off reps by the thousands across the pharma industry and doctors have been quitting in droves. The economic sucks, businesses are cutting back, and employees are scared. However, there are 2 healthcare careers that have survived the economic debacles that started 2008 and will continue to thrive into the future. [...]

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Can we bridge the clinical-sales divide: Joint Calls

Joint calls between MSLs and sales reps are a touchy subject. If I were to define 3 values of joint calls, these would be – Value to the customer: physicians don’t have to wait for you to bring back the MSL to get their questions answered – Value to the sales rep: you can learn a lot of clinical science from the MSL – Value to the MSL: one way that MSLs often must show value is how they contribute to a commercial organization. I don’t advocate joint calls in today’s “who got subpoenaed?” environment, but reps and MSLs can also collaborate in a compliant manner that couples effective patient care with the survival of the pharmaceutical organization.

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Can we bridge the clinical-sales divide: Collaboration Conundrum

What MSLs do and why we need them remain a mystery to many sales reps. Because of today’s environment, companies are creating “compliance” firewalls between sales and MSL groups, which makes it harder for reps to understand “what MSLs do all day long.” Industry is recognizing MSL teams as a competitive advantage, which is why companies continue to install and expand MSL programs. Companies can do a better job at fostering understanding between reps and MSLs, and how each function’s role contribute to the survival and competitiveness of their companies.

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