Summary
Roles of the medical visitor
To visit
The medical visitor makes an appointment with health professionals, or tries to go between 2 consultations. He introduces :
- the various drugs of the laboratory that it represents;
- the news ;
- and the virtues of each product.
To encourage
He wants to encourage doctors to prescribe specific drugs. To do this, he describes their composition and instructions for use. He can even leave samples, which allow professionals to experience the product with their patients.
Represent the lab
The medical visitor is trained to answer all questions from doctors concerning:
- Dosage ;
- tolerance ;
- or drug efficacy.
He regularly attends sales meetings organized by management. He also reports the comments of the medical profession on a daily basis, by communicating a report to the laboratory. The medical representative still places the orders because he is not the one who sells the drugs, he is only in charge of promotion.
Medical representative working conditions
Head of a geographical area
The medical representative organizes his round independently: he generally sees 5 to 7 doctors per day. He is therefore constantly on the move, often in transport or in his car. He must also be patient in meeting with health professionals.
Rapporteur
After his day’s work, he must write a daily report for the laboratories. It includes the reflections and recommendations of doctors. It also announces the orders taken.
How much does a medical visitor earn?
The medical visitor at the start of his career earns an average of between €1,600 and €1,800 gross per month. He also receives, depending on the laboratory that employs him, profit-sharing bonuses and/or travel allowances.
Training to become a medical visitor
Recommended studies
The medical visitor must hold a bac + 2 level diploma recognized by the National Professional Committee for Medical Visits (CPNVM).
- BTS negotiation and customer relations;
- DUT marketing techniques;
- BP of pharmacy preparer.
Mandatory training
Candidates then follow training, recognized by the CPNVM and offered by 36 private schools or around twenty universities. They are admitted on file, test and interview. The training lasts between 9 and 12 months, it includes 3 to 4 months of internship. This is the condition for obtaining the professional card, essential to practice this profession.
You can consult the CPNVM website by clicking here.
Qualifications needed to become a medical visitor
Possess medical knowledge
The medical representative often faces doctors in a hurry. It must be convincing and capture the attention, for this it must:
- demonstrate scientific knowledge;
- explain in a clear and concise manner the particularities of the products it presents;
- know your sector very well;
- keep up to date with medical news or innovations…
Energy
The many trips and interventions of the medical visitor require organization and method. He is often standing and loaded. He has to wait in the waiting room and sometimes impose himself. The medical representative is therefore as discreet as it is efficient.
Commercial
The visitor does not sell the products himself, but promotes them. He must find the best arguments to expose the virtues of his products. His role is similar to that of the representative, but in the medical environment. He must be smiling, conscientious and pleasant with professionals.
Content updated on 07/06/2012