IPhO News

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.

Networking isn't something you do. It's part of everything you do.

Too often we neglect our network because we view it as an independent "to-do" and as such it usually falls lower on the list of priorities. A better way to think of it is that building relationships is at the core of all business interactions and processes. You can only accomplish so much on your own without the help of others. You might get your first promotion or two because you were technically skilled at what you do, but what about promotion to leadership roles or securing responsibility for the department's key project? Approach it by asking yourself, how do you motivate someone to help you complete your projects and deliverables? At the core of this is building and proactively maintaining relationships with your colleagues. For best results, take a customer service approach to daily interactions with your colleagues. Focus on detecting your internal customer's needs, and exceed them one conversation at a time.

Background

Being able to present in front of a group of people is a skill we begin developing from an early age. If you think back, your first experience "presenting" may have been in front of a group of elementary school classmates for "show and tell." As we grow and learn and ultimately enter the workforce, it seems that for many us our presentation skills have lagged behind other areas of growth and development. For professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, presenting information to a group of people is part of the fabric of our business. From clinical study results, to investigator meetings, to sales force training, to business plan presentations, the list goes on and on. People who embrace the art of presenting are able to leverage this strength to help move up the career ladder. In this article we'll provide some common issues that presenters face and some tips for overcoming them.

As a career industry pharmacist, and on behalf of our organization and the IPhO advisory board, I am excited to introduce to you the first and only professional pharmacy organization dedicated specifically to the professional needs of pharmaceutical industry-based pharmacists!

If you are one of the first 500 pharmacists to join IPhO as a full member, not only will you be designated as a Founding 500 IPhO Member, you will also be supporting pharmacy student scholarships! Now and every year you continue your annual membership, you will be part of IPhO's commitment to support the professional development and education of future industry pharmacists.

Beginning NOW, if you are one of the first 500 eligible** pharmacists to join IPhO as a member, you will become a Founding 500 IPhO Member! We invite our Founding 500 level members to play an important role in shaping the present and future focus of our organization. We will consistently seek and incorporate feedback from our Founding 500 members to help us ensure that IPhO is meeting the needs, wants and concerns of members like you.