Helping reps keep up with a changing NHS
The successful rep will stay one step ahead of the NHS changes and constantly evaluate their personal performance, explains Sue Birch
Vast changes across the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry were experienced during the latter stages of 2005 and into 2006, with one of the most dramatic of these changes within the NHS being the realignment of the strategic health authorities (SHAs). This was then followed by reconfiguration of the primary care trusts and the introduction of practicebased commissioning.
The fundamental reason behind the changes is to move more towards an NHS, which is steered by the patient, who then, in turn, plays a much more significant part in the management of their own medication. This has changed the NHS model considerably and the key players and influencers within it. Consequently, there has been a dramatic knock-on effect on the pharmaceutical industry in relation to its principal customer base and its sales strategies for the future.
New prescribing influencers have emerged within the NHS mainly at PCT level and within the community e.g. nurse and pharmacist prescribers, and prescribing advisers. Also, the development of intermediary clinics in specialist therapy areas, such as dermatology, has had a significant impact. The effect of such radical changes in the NHS has led pharmaceutical and healthcare companies to have to reevaluate their sales model and move into a new era, with a completely different strategic approach.
Small but perfectly formed
October 2005 to March 2006 saw the downsizing of many old-style traditional contract primary care teams. This was the first stage in the pharmaceutical industry responding to the changes in the NHS.
The days of the big team builds/high volume noise in the market started to disseminate overnight, and the revised alternative approach is much more thought through, focused and effective. The new era of account management has dawned and truly is the way forward.
In addition, the industry has seen a move in the last few years towards extremely specialised product therapy areas. New biotech companies/healthcare companies have started to evolve and introduce new specialist products that require a more sophisticated sell. All these changes have obviously had a very strong impact on the sales representatives in the medical industry. Many have lost their jobs or have found that their roles have been changed quite significantly.
For some, the latter is a welcome change and offers many new and exciting opportunities. But for others, it is a threat and they are finding it difficult to adapt their skill set to stay ahead of the rapid move forward.
The need for new skills
The new business model for account style management has manifested itself due to the much wider customer base now available within the NHS. What representatives will find now is that it is no longer possible for them to still employ the traditional approach of just trying to knock on as many doors as possible.
The new environment is more about strategic planning, influencing a more diverse range of customers and being far more business-focused and driven. In fact all this requires a completely different skill set altogether.
It is still essential to be a strong communicator and be able to illustrate persuasive selling and negotiating skills, but in addition to this, you must have very strong relationships with the key influencers on your territory. To strengthen these, you will have to be able to adapt your skills to improve communication at any level.
You also need to understand how to manage the pull through of your product from secondary care into primary care and the strategy you will need to employ – in other words, having complete accountability on your territory. You will be expected to work autonomously and obviously enjoy the rewards of the successes, which go handin- hand with this style of working.
Conversely, you will also take responsibility when your initiatives have not worked out as planned and will need to be able to rethink your strategy and employ different tactics to ensure success.
You will need to be able to work your personal business plan, as if it were your own business, putting in place parameters, which can be realistically measured to give a good indication of how well you are delivering to key objectives. Self-motivation and an entrepreneurial flair are essential attributes, too.
As the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry continues to evolve its new sales model, in line with the changes in the NHS, the representative also needs to be re-evaluating his or her skill set in order to remain one step ahead. It is a very challenging time ahead but also a very exciting one.
