What is a Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative?

Looking for a career with good growth potential and the opportunity to break into the medical field? If so, becoming a Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative is a job you should consider. Your first question might be, “what does a certified national pharmaceutical representative do?” The answer is, they represent pharmaceutical companies to health care providers, selling prescription drugs to prescribers. What do you need to know to become a Certified National Pharmaceutical Rep? To be an effective pharmaceutical representative, you need a good understanding of pharmaceutical terms, definitions and abbreviations. You also need to understand the FDA’s role in regulating the industry and specific regulations that pertain pharmaceutical companies. Managed care plays a big role in the way patients pay for their medications so you should understand Medicare, Medicaid and reimbursement programs. There are certain regulations that govern how business is conducted in hospitals that you need to understand. What are the steps to becoming a Certified National Pharmaceutical Rep? Online schools like Meditec.com offer programs to help you become a Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative. The program is about 75 hours and prepares you to take the official National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives® exam. Coursework includes basic medical terminology, sales and business skills and customer service skills. What is the employment outlook for Certified National Pharmaceutical Representatives? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a job growth outlook of 10% for all sales representatives of technical and scientific products through 2022. The median salary for an established Certified Pharmaceutical Rep is $86,750. Think a career as a Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative might be a good fit for you? Take a look at the Certification program today at Meditec.com!