IPhO News

I have been asked to moderate a panel, and there's a chance I'll be holding a microphone. I'm a little nervous that my hand will shake. Do you have any suggestions?

IPhO is pleased to announce the launch of its exclusive career coaching service designed to support the unique needs of experienced industry pharmacists, fellows, and student pharmacists interested in an industry career.

To deliver this service, IPhO has assembled a panel of talented coaches that includes trusted and experienced industry pharmacists as well as professional career coaches. Coaches are available by appointment to provide participants with a full range of personalized and confidential support -- from resume review and interview preparation, to management of challenging situations, to personal brand development/career strategy and other advanced career planning.

“When did women start shaking hands? It feels awkward.”

Recently, a very bright, talented, professional woman asked me that question. Initially, I was startled. Yet, as I thought about the question, I realized that many women in my seminars are reluctant to shake hands, and others do so incorrectly.

Since the third quarter in 2009, the US economy has slowly been working its way out of the recession, with the gross domestic product growing from between 0.1 and 4 percent during that time. Every business needs to take advantage of every possible opportunity to expand and thrive while mitigating those things that are threats to their product or service production.

"My speech went over time. They hated me!"

"I panicked when I was told to add 20 minutes to my talk!"

The role of the Medical Science Liaison is one of the more coveted job opportunities for clinical pharmacists within the pharmaceutical industry. This role provides clinical pharmacists with the opportunity to engage in highly scientific and cutting-edge discussions on patient-specific drug therapy and disease states with leading healthcare professionals (HCPs) in both the academic and community-based settings. In addition to the clinical aspects, the MSL role requires the individual to think strategically about territory planning and coverage to ensure that field-based activities and individual contributions align with overall company objectives.

Most industry pharmacists and pharmacy students will read the title of this column and think, "will this topic have any relevance to me?" The answer is yes, and here is why! Trust is not only a signature goal of every healthcare provider but also of every type of healthcare organization, including hospitals, health plans, and pharmaceutical companies who need to communicate that they are indeed trustworthy. One way these organizations can gain trust is to hire trustworthy professionals. Our pharmacy education, license to practice, and reputation provides added value to our employers who significantly benefit when their core customers, prescribers, and patients believe in the trustworthiness of the company and its employees. It’s just one more reason that supports The Indispensable Value of Industry Pharmacists

In this installment of our "Ask the Advisors" column, we asked some of our prestigious advisory board members “Why Do Pharmacists Make the Most Valuable Industry Employees?"

To see what they said, read below and then "join the conversation" by sharing your own views on this subject!

A woman in one of my classes wrote: "If you want to be proffessional, you shouldn’t let your tattoos show in the office." I politely responded that “if you want to be professional, you need to spell professional correctly!”

Having mistakes in your emails can diminish your credibility and affect your professional standing in the workplace. I am amazed that I receive so many documents that have spelling and/or grammar errors.

The IPhO Advocacy tour made its most recent stop at Novartis Headquarters in East Hanover, NJ this week. If you would like to work with IPhO staff to organize a similar visit to your company or your favorite school of pharmacy, please contact us!

100 Novartis pharmacists joined the conversation to learn more about IPhO and its mission to advance the careers of industry pharmacists by promoting our indispensable value. From the front of the room, looking out on all that talent reminded me of the bright future we have and how much we can accomplish by working together!

The IPhO Advocacy Committee has begun the rollout of its comprehensive plan to promote the value of industry pharmacists. Our efforts will be reaching i) Industry employers , ii) Pharmacy School Administration and Faculty, and iii) Students and Fellows, among others.

We are kicking off a new column, "Ask the Advisors," to relay advice from our very experienced and prestigious advisory board members. Each column will feature responses to a single critical question put to our board. For our inaugural column we asked our advisors to briefly describe the single most impactful professional development course or seminar that they have taken. And here is what they said.

Getting a promotion into a leading position is without a doubt a major career move, and certainly a reason to be proud. It is, however, wise to remember that this new role comes with a great deal of expectation and high responsibility. As a novice boss, it is vital to know how to treat your employees with the respect they deserve and how to react/ act properly in any given situation. The following will give you an idea of some of the main things a boss should never do.

Recently, I received a note from a vendor after giving him some critical feedback. He wrote: “I take a lot of pride in my work and in my business, and even though it is difficult to hear negative comments upon completion of a job, I respect and appreciate your honesty. Your feedback will go a long way in helping me grow my business.” What a great response to my comments. Would you respond in a similar manner if you heard criticism about your work?

“The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind — computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers. But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands.” - A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink

In theory, a recent decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals may change the way that pharmaceutical manufacturers promote their products. The court sided with a sales representative’s right to free speech when communicating with physicians. This result has raised some very interesting questions about FDA’s regulation of “off-label” information.

Maintaining an up-to-date professional action plan can be the difference between moving forward, languishing, or falling behind. Regardless of whether you have had the same industry position for a short or a long time, it can be very useful to apply a well-known business process, the “SWOT” analysis, to your own career. It can help put you on the right course for continued professional and financial rewards.

When each of us were in pharmacy school, we burned the midnight oil to learn molecular structures, drug interactions and medical therapeutics (how could we ever forget Goodman and Gilman!). We relied on our intelligence ("IQ") to pull us through those challenges so that we might earn the title of R.Ph. or Pharm.D.

Madison, NJ - October 8, 2012

Announcing the launch of the Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO), the first and only professional pharmacy organization dedicated exclusively to advancing the careers of pharmaceutical industry-based pharmacists. The organization was founded by experienced industry pharmacists with the determined purpose of benefiting industry pharmacists everywhere.

Virtually all employees of small, medium, and large business have at one point or another been involved in a poorly run meeting. Maybe it was the location - a room designed to seat 10 comfortably for a meeting of 30 people. Maybe it was an inappropriate group of attendees - a key participant being left off the invite or several unnecessary invitees. Or maybe it was something more subtle - the meeting organizer not taking charge of the meeting, allowing side conversations to dominate. The list of items that can spoil a meeting is long indeed. And the list of consequences is even longer.