Pharmaceutical Marketing Career: Gearing up with the right Skill-set

Article
Pharmaceutical Marketing Career: Gearing up with the
right Skill-set
*Shoma Shrivastava
Marketing Consultant
The Indian Pharmaceutical industry currently tops the chart
amongst India’s science-based industries and is the third largest in
the world in terms of volume. As part of the integrated healthcare
sector, the Pharma Industry shows great promise with encouraging
growth both in domestic and international markets.
A highly organized sector, the Indian Pharma Industry has
reached USD 18 Bn turnover and is likely to be doubled as early as
2015, growing at about 12 percent. India is already being recognized
globally as a manufacturer of economical, high quality bulk drugs
and formulations. The industry will also see tremendous growth
within India in the future as consumer spending on healthcare is
increasing.
Enhanced competition and a rapidly evolving market are
compelling companies to shift gears to meet growth challenges.
Market creation, competitive differentiation and product launches
will remain important; additional levers like disease management,
improved customer focus and creating big brands will compel
marketing teams to play a big role. It is but obvious that the
success of these critical marketing operations will depend on the
performance of its personnel. Therefore, the demand for educated
manpower with the right skill set, especially in the field of marketing
is continuously on the rise.
As part of the industry, one takes great pride in stating that
pharmaceutical management requires unique skills. Pharma
marketing and other functions demand a focus and fine-tuning,
which can be brought about only by specialized learning efforts.
As far as possible, only the organizational specifics should be left
to ‘on-the-job’ training.
Wherein this is viewing the concern from a corporate standpoint,
it is important to also look at it from a ‘corporate aspirant’ point of
view. A Pharmacy student who is keen on joining the big Pharma
industry is disillusioned about what should be done. He/she knows
that they would need the technical know-how along with marketing
and communication expertise to be successful. The question is what
best he should do to prepare himself with the right training; in the
crucial hard (technical) and soft (behavioral) skills.
The pharmacists’ needs for specialization are being met by the
current modules offered in Pharma Education where the technical
knowledge is provided. What is necessary to understand is that the
onus lies with the student to try to imbibe it in letter and spirit.
Here let us, as a broad framework, refer to the expectations in
describing the Role of the Pharmacist in the Healthcare System -
Preparing the Future Pharmacist: Curricular Development, Report
of a Third WHO Consultative Group. The consultancy summarized
the roles referred to as “the seven star pharmacist”. These were
to be considered essential, minimum and common expectations of
national health care systems worldwide.
Then, examining broadly and applying them to the Pharma
marketer, the roles in ‘the seven star pharmacist’ include:
1. Care-giver 2. Decision-maker
3. Communicator 4. Leader
5. Manager 6. Life-long-learner 7. Teacher
We will further take up parts to build up the personality
requirements of the Pharma marketer. Let us begin with the
expectations of being a -
• Life-long-learner • Teacher
There is a strong need for understanding the need to be a good
learner. Self managed continuous learning skills (as student and
teacher) is very essential and the fundamental part of making the
most of your Pharma education in the first place. Then this attitude
of active learning will take you a long way in your career and life
as well. It becomes all the more necessary since we work in the
dynamic world of medicine. As with some other fields; what works
now today may become obsolete and in our case even harmful
tomorrow. Pharmacists’ sure need to ‘learn how to learn’ and the
commitment has to be life-long. An ill-informed Pharma marketer
can be very dangerous to society at large.
It is often said that the best way to learn is to teach. Every
student should try to volunteer to teach to update, to present in
seminars, to speak and interact in conferences and any forum.
The pharmacist has a responsibility to assist with the education
and training of future generations of pharmacists - be it juniors at
college or in the office. The more knowledge is disseminated the
better will be the quality of Pharma profession. Also, importantly it
will help in building the crucial communication skills.
This brings us to the other important part of skill development.
It is said that hard skills will help you get an interview but soft skills
will help you get the job and will help you in successfully keeping it!
It is absolutely mandatory in progressive companies that employees
seeking growth meet the soft skill requirements apart from the
functional expertise prescribed. In marketing, the need is amplified
as you directly deal with customers.
Though technical skills would form the core knowledge area for
development of specialized techniques in the Pharma field; there is a
lot desired in cultivating managerial skills. One must realize that the
mere presence of technical abilities does not guarantee success. It
must be acknowledged that one will need self management skills to
succeed in just about any pharmacy practice setting. A substantial
body of research supports the correlation between managerial skills
and both career and personal effectiveness. Employers are looking
for people, who can adapt very quickly to the changing corporate
scenario and meet the demands of complex situations. Hence, the
focus is on the criticality of soft skills.
Relook at other roles of “the seven star pharmacist”
• Decision-maker • Communicator • Leader • Manager
Communication includes verbal, non-verbal, listening and writing
skills. To begin with a command over language becomes imperative
because that forms the basic foundation. A marketing person has to
*Email id: srivastavas@hotmail.com
Pharma Times - Vol. 44 - No. 03 - March 2012 26

e fluent in communication. The language generally used is English
along with the local language. Therefore, every student has to make
a special effort to gain proficiency in languages. Then additional
effort needs to be taken to master verbal, non-verbal, listening and
writing skills. Each of this has an important part to play when you
begin your work as a marketing professional.
Leadership, decision making and management skills - all
these soft skills underline both individual career aspirations of an
employee, as well as, offers business advantage to the companies
at large. Decision making requires the ability to evaluate, synthesize
and decide upon the most appropriate course of action. Leadership
involves compassion and empathy as well as the ability to make
decisions, communicate, and manage effectively. Every skill helps
us to learn one more as they overlap each other. All our efforts in
this direction will help us become a better manager and a better
marketer.
These are in line with most common characteristics across
industries, levels, and job responsibilities. Unfortunately, unless a
pharmacist further chooses to pursue a management programme
he/she generally lacks the necessary management education. The
pharmacist must effectively manage resources (human, physical
and fiscal) and information; he or she must also be comfortable
being managed by others, whether an employer or the manager/
leader of a health care team. Again, this calls for special efforts on
the part of the student. Also, one must learn to be a good team
member as marketing is a team effort. Employees who are good
at team working skills are able to manage and take the pressure
of work and deadlines. They are also able to boost the morale of
other fellow employees.
In Pharmaceuticals, for field force who are at grassroot level -
communication skills, interpersonal skills, Customer Relationship
Book Review
Management skills are needed to improve prescription sales. For
field managers - interpersonal and leadership skills (for supervisory
function) are important. Whereas, for the second line managers -
business planning skills and decision making abilities would be
necessary. In marketing, some experience in sales becomes a
pre-requisite. Hence, one should be able to put in the hard work in
the field to understand the ground realities.
Competition will get magnified in hard times. In these times, soft
skills or EQ play a vital role for professional success; they help one
to excel in the workplace. Good soft skills - which are in fact scarce
in the highly competitive corporate world, will help you stand out in
a background of job seekers with mediocre skills and talent. There
is so much of competition apart from technical skills or IQ that one
needs to show that he owns something extra to take the cutting
edge over other competitors within and outside the organization;
especially to stay ahead in marketing.
Needless to add, the industry offers a plethora of marketing
opportunities to able professionals. But, a student needs to be
equipped with the required competencies typical of the Pharma
Industry that form part of the curriculum and that are additional,
through personal initiative.
Last but not the least, one cannot and must not overlook the
Care-giver role in ‘the seven star pharmacist’. Services must be
of the highest quality. Every student pharmacist generally has
a certain motive for choosing the Pharmacy profession and the
desire to positively affect lives of patients is central. Though at
times some of the marketing activities may seem to be bordering
on the wrong side of ethics; at the end of the day no one can
survive without keeping the best interests of the consumer in
mind.
So, dear students - share well, care well and fare (do) well.
Obituary
Introduction to Public Health
Third Edition
Author: Mary-Jane Schneider
Publisher: Jones & Bartlett India Pvt. Ltd.
The book “Introduction to Public Health” by Mary-Jane
Schneider is an interesting and important book. It will
be useful for community health workers, doctors, and
Pharmacists. The book provides a refreshing insight
to Public Health vide different well laid out chapters.
The statistics are based on the American setting, but
are important indicators, and the case studies/trial
reports are interesting. The book is divided into seven
separate part, each dealing with several chapters,
which are nicely interrelate.
The chapters on epidemiology are very well written. The chapter “Role of data in public
health” is very interesting, as well as that on “Resurgence of infectious diseases”.
Another important chapter is “Genetic Diseases and other inborn errors” and the chapter
on “Psychological factors affecting health behaviour” is thought provoking. The book
highlights the importance of handling solid and hazardous waste carefully, stress on
the significance of clean air, water, safe food etc. A chapter on geriatric population
and public health is interesting. The concluding chapter introspects on challenges of
public health care system in the 21 st century.
The book is a good document to be kept in libraries as well as for personal
collection.
Reviewed by:
Dr. Subhash C. Mandal,
M.Pharm., Ph.D, FIC CC Vice President
IPA Bengal Branch
We regret to inform that one of our active
IPA members, Mrs. P. S. Jyothi expired on
15 th Jan., 2012. In respect to the services
extended by late Smt. P.S. Jyothi to
the Indian Pharmaceutical Association,
A.P. State Branch, a Condolence Meet
was held at Hampshire Plaza Hotel,
Hyderabad, on 24 th January, 2012 to pay
respects to her departed soul. President
or IPA-AP, Dr. Renuka Datla; General
Secretary Sri. K. Subbi Reddy; Office
Bearers, members of IPA-AP; Central
IPA President Dr. C. Gopal Krishna
Murty; CEC Members Mr. J.A.s. Giri
and Mr. R. Ranga Rao were present and
expressed their heartfelt condolences to
the bereaved family members.
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