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Medical Representative job description

A Medical Representative is a pharmaceutical company's face to doctors and chemists in a territory. They meet doctors to detail products, build relationships, generate prescriptions, service chemists and stockists, and report their daily field work. The role is the entry into pharma field sales. A good one covers their doctors regularly, details products clearly and honestly, builds trust that turns into prescriptions, keeps stock moving at chemists, and hits their territory sales target month after month while reporting their work accurately.

DetailFor this role
DepartmentPharma
LevelEntry level
Reports toArea Business Manager
Direct reportsNone
ExperienceFresher or up to 2 years in field sales or pharma

Medical Representative job description template

Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.

Job title: Medical Representative

Department: Pharma

Reports to: Area Business Manager

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

A Medical Representative is a pharmaceutical company's face to doctors and chemists in a territory. They meet doctors to detail products, build relationships, generate prescriptions, service chemists and stockists, and report their daily field work. The role is the entry into pharma field sales. A good one covers their doctors regularly, details products clearly and honestly, builds trust that turns into prescriptions, keeps stock moving at chemists, and hits their territory sales target month after month while reporting their work accurately.

Key responsibilities

  • Meet doctors regularly to detail products and build strong professional relationships.
  • Achieve the sales and prescription target for the assigned territory each month.
  • Cover the assigned list of doctors at the required call frequency.
  • Service chemists and stockists, and keep the product stock and supply moving.
  • Explain product features, benefits and evidence accurately to doctors.
  • Track prescriptions and secondary sales, and follow up with key doctors.
  • Organise doctor meetings, camps and continuing medical education activities.
  • Report daily calls and field work in the reporting app honestly.
  • Gather market, competitor and doctor feedback for the manager.
  • Follow the code of marketing practices and company compliance rules.

Requirements

  • Graduate in science, pharmacy or any field
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills
  • A two-wheeler and willingness to travel the territory
  • Fresher or up to 2 years in field sales or pharma

KRAs and KPIs for a Medical Representative

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result areaHow to measure it
Territory salesAchieve the monthly and annual sales target for the territory
Prescription generationGrow prescriptions from covered doctors towards the target
Doctor coverageMeet the call average and doctor coverage norms every month
Chemist servicingStock available at chemists and secondary sales flowing
ReportingDaily field reporting done accurately and on time
ComplianceFollow the marketing code, with no compliance violations

Skills and tools

DetailingDoctor relationship buildingProduct knowledgeTerritory coverageChemist servicingPersuasionReporting disciplineCommunicationPersistence

Tools used day to day: Sales reporting app, Visual aid or detailing folder, Product samples, Two-wheeler, Smartphone.

Reporting line and career path

Area Business ManagerMedical Representative
Moves up from: Fresh Graduate, Sales Trainee
Next roles: Senior Medical Representative, Area Business Manager

Interview questions for a Medical Representative

  1. How would you build a relationship with a doctor who has no time for representatives?
  2. How do you detail a product to a busy doctor in two minutes?
  3. How do you plan your day to cover the most doctors effectively?
  4. How do you handle a chemist who is not stocking your product?
  5. How do you grow prescriptions from a doctor who prefers a competitor?
  6. Why do you want to work as a medical representative?

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Frequently asked questions

What does a medical representative do?

A medical representative is a pharma company's face to doctors and chemists in a territory. They meet doctors to detail products, build relationships, generate prescriptions, service chemists and stockists, and report their daily field work. They cover their doctors regularly and work to hit their territory sales target every month.

How do I become a medical representative in India?

A graduate degree, ideally in science or pharmacy, good communication skills and a two-wheeler are the usual requirements. Companies hire freshers with the right attitude and train them on products and detailing. Strong interpersonal skills matter most, since the job is about building trust with doctors and chemists to generate prescriptions.

Is medical representative a good career?

It is a common and rewarding entry into pharma with clear growth: representatives move up to area, regional and zonal management over the years. It rewards people who enjoy building relationships and working independently in the field. It does involve daily travel, monthly targets and reporting discipline, which suits self-driven, sociable people.