Is there anyone on here who works in pharmaceutical sales?

[rwardd]

I have a summer university assignment which involves writing a report aimed at a fictional pharmaceutical company. I have pretty much finished it but I just want to make sure I understand my intended audience.

I am just wondering a few things:

• If a study suggested a drug that you market for was not effective for a particular condition, how would you interpret the study? Would you be skeptical until more research was done, or try and focus on the positives, would you change strategy, would your clients bring it up with you to discuss? Would one 'bad' study impact sales? Basically, what would you do/what would happen in response?

• How much understanding do you have about how a pharmaceutical drug works? Would you just know the basics or would you understand the underlying mechanisms?

• How much understanding do you have about research (e.g. the importance of sample sizes, p values/statistical significance, the range of research which contributes to evidence-based medicine)

Sorry to be so cheeky to ask all these questions. Thank you in advance if any of you are able to answer any of them.

I used to
Studies can be interpreted in many ways but doing so was not my job, I read them but the sales messages around them were given to me by Marketing. Studies are generally commissioned by the Pharma co, if they didn’t show what was required they were unlikely to see the light of day.
I had to know quite a surprising amount actually - physiology, biology, pharmacology. Some medical reps have been to medical school or have related degrees. Didnt always make them good at their jobs. We had to be ABPI qualified, which was via an external examining body. I also had to pass internal exams on my specific disease areas before I was allowed to promote that drug. A new drug meant around a weeks intensive residential course.
Research - knew nothing, didn’t need to

Happy to answer any more questions.

I work more broadly in the industry - some thoughts as I may not have fully understood what you are doing

1: I would want to understand what trial / study you mean - as you can only promote where you have marketing authorisation (ie nothing off label) and for that to happen you would have to (normally ... Adulhelm in the US is a rather unusual case) expect that your ph3 pivotal trials would have demonstrated efficacy. If you had a further trial that was for another indication / less favourable in your existing indication you would want to explore why and have some rationale as yes would expect people to raise it - probably more reactive vs proactive - was the trial done in a different way / different endpoints / different patient population etc

2: I would expect the sales rep to understand the mechanism of action - all UK sales reps have to pass the ABPI code of practice, you can look that up re the kind of background needed

3: again you would need to know about this - likely not as much detail as a MSL (medical sales liaison)