Roles of a Pharmacist in the Industry

1. 1
Pharmacy Alumni Sharing Session 2016 –
Industry
YK Png
Vice President
LF Asia Pharmaceutical Division
Singapore

2. 2
From: NUSPS PASS [mailto:nusps.pass@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2016 11:14 PM
To: Yong Koh Png
Subject: Re: Speaker Invitation to Pharmacy Alumni Sharing Session 2016 by NUS Pharmaceutical
Society
Hi Mr Png,
Thanks for the prompt reply!
Here are some points that you can share during the session:
1) Some background about yourself (can be brief)
2) Personal experiences in this industry (what you enjoyed and some challenges faced)
3) How does your work impact the healthcare setting or others
4) Describe your typical day at work (may give 1 or 2 examples) - quite receptive by the
audience
5) Career progression - one slide will do
6) What you would look out for in an intern or new hire in your company
Hope this helps!
Also, we will include 5 more min in your sharing session for Mr Kaiye. Please keep your entire
presentation and your introduction of mr Kaiye within 25 min. We welcome him to join the
panel discussion afterwards, for the audience to pose questions to him and all the speakers.
Thank you!
Best Regards,
Shawn Loo

3. Pharmacist by profession, with in-depth knowledge & experience in
Sales & Marketing, General Management (in diverse culture and environment)
• Education background:
- B Sc (Pharmacy) (Honours) (NUS) / Master in International Business (Curtin) / Dip. Marketing
(CIM, UK) / Grad Dip Marketing Management (SIM) / Cert Dip Acct & Fin (ACCA, UK)
• Career experience:
- Pupilage – Hospitals (SGH/TTSH) / Pharm Dept, MOH (QC Lab / Manufacturing labs)
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Retail Pharmacist
- Industry: Pharmaceuticals / Consumer Healthcare / Medical Devices / Medical Equipment
- Sales / Training / Regulatory Affairs
- Product Management / Marketing / Business Development
- Expatriate job in China / HK / Macau
- Regional General Management
- Part time (past): Lecturer / Course Director & Corporate Trainer
• Professional memberships / Awards:
- Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore: member / Vice President (2002/3)
- Medical Alumni: member
- Singapore National Stroke Association: Life member
- Professor Lucy Wan “Pharmacist of the Year 2000” Award
- Committee member of Singapore Pharmacy Board Complaints Panel, Ministry of Health 2013/15
and 2015/2017
Sharing of experience & lessons learnt

4. 4
• Industry:
• Pharmaceutical
• Consumer Healthcare
• Biotechnology
• Medical devices
• Medical equipment
• Distributors / wholesalers
• R&D / Clinical trial, …
Definition
Principals
Hospitals /
Pharmacies
/ Retailers
Distributors
(eg. LF Asia)
Supply Chain . . .
Principals
(Manufacturers)
Patients /
Consumers

5. 5
Manufacturing
Industry
Academics
Government institutions eg. HSA
Retail
Hospital / Polyclinics
Entrepreneurs, non-pharmacy related careers. . .
Graduate study…
Career Options
R&D, Clinical Trial, . . .
Career Options in the Industry

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What roles can a Pharmacist play in the Industry?

7. Medical Science Liaison (MSL)
Why MSL for LF Asia (example)?
• Strategic therapeutic focus: Bioscience (biosimilars), specialist products, innovative products
• Changing market trend: High Trust High Value, CRM, Value Creation, …
• Training management
What is a Medical Science Liaison?
Medical Science Liaisons are vital in the success of a company. They work throughout a product's lifecycle, help to ensure
that products are utilized effectively, serve as scientific peers and resources within the medical community, and are scientific
experts to internal colleagues at companies. However, the primary purpose of the MSL role is to establish and maintain peer-
peer relationships with leading physicians, referred to as Key Opinion Leaders (KOL's), at major academic institutions and
clinics.
CRM
Key Functions?
1. Medical Information Services
1. Clinical training to pharma sales teams and targeted healthcare professionals
(HCPs)
2. Assist with medical or product enquiries
2. Medical Communication
1. Provide scientific information visits to HCPs and discuss key therapy
area/product attributes
3. Educational Initiatives and Program Support
1. Pre-launch support
2. Patient adherence programs, disease awareness campaigns

8. 8
•Sales
Attributes & Reasons:
• Meeting people
• Freedom
• Disciplined
• Sales pressures
• Customer service / good listener
• “Sky is the limit”…$$$
• Drive car…
• etc, etc . . .
• Industry:
• Pharmaceutical
• Consumer Healthcare
• Biotechnology
• Medical devices
• Medical equipment
• Distributors / wholesalers
• R&D / Clinical trial, …

9. 9
Typical remuneration (Sales job):
 Base salary: market benchmark
 Car allowance: S$1K to S$1.5K
(excl car park charges, claimable)
 Commission: S$1.5K to S$2.5K
 Mobile, …
•How much does a Pharmaceutical Rep earn?

10. 10
•An example of job duties for a Pharm Sales Rep . . .
 Meet sales target & non-sales KPIs
 Achieve required number of calls: 8 to 10 calls a day
 Attend company meetings
 Possess good product knowledge and selling skills (trainings provided for new reps)
 Effective utilization of selling and promotional tools (eg. detailing aids)
 Organize sales &/or product presentation
 Assist in marketing activities eg. product talks and workshops, trade exhibition, invite
doctors to oversea congress, …
 Build strong customer relationship and loyalty
 Maintain strong compliance requirement (pharmacovigilance & compliance): eg. product
sampling, ADR, …
 Strong team player: eg. close working relationship with fellow colleagues from sales &
marketing

11. 11
•A typical day at work (Sales Rep)
“Ciong” again…
Enjoy the lonely lunch or
with customers or “kakis”…
“Ciong” to the clinics, hospitals,
pharmacies, …
Home sweet home or
let’s go for a drink!
Say “good morning” to your “kakis”
and bosses, “kay-poying”.…
Join the “Jam’
Emails, meetings, reports,
clinical papers, role plays, …
Preparing “weapons”,
brochures, samples, Forms, …
Remarks:
Reps may not need to be back to office everyday or at the end of the day
Lunch time talks,
lohei, …
Morning journal
club meetings Evening talks,
customers dinner, …

12. 12
Marketing (Product Mgt)
Attributes:
• Meeting people
• Strategic
• Management & sales pressures
• Customer oriented
• Sales experience
• Marketing knowledge
• etc, etc, . . .
Pharmacist’s advantages:
• Good understanding of product knowledge
• Clinical knowledge
• Network
Personal advice:
• Might be good to start off as a professional sales rep
first before embarking on marketing
• Do a post-graduate diploma in marketing

13. 13
•Example of “What does a Product Manager do?”
 Field visits
 Develop marketing materials, eg. detailing
aids, gimmicks, …
 Product sample control
 Travel with doctors to oversea congresses
 Conduct talks & marketing activities
 Participate in trade exhibition, congresses, …
 New product launches
 Business development
 etc, etc …
 Management & marketing meetings, …
 Budgeting
 Marketing / Product plan
 A& P control
 Pharmacovigilance / compliance
 Inventory management

14. Value Creation – Omni-channel Marketing Strategy
 Driver for Growth - Value Creation
CME
Medical Congress
& Exhibition
Patient Education
& Adherence
Program
Sponsorship
& KOL
Development
Institution
& Society
Collaboration
Promotional
tools
Brand
Building
Sales
Promotion
Value
Creation
Medical
Science Liaison

15. MRT Ads
PR Activities
Print Ads
TV Ads
BlitzOnline
& Website
Consumer
Engagement
Program
CPE
Events
Value Creation – OTC Marketing
Radio Ads
Value
Creation
BTL
 Value Creation Services

16. Career Progression (an example)
16
• Sales Rep / Pdt Specialist
• Product Executive
• Key Acc Executive
• RA Pharmacist
• . . .
• Product Manager
• Sales Manager
• KA Manager
• RA Manager
• . . .
• General / Country Manager
• Regional Manager
• Managing Director
• CEO / President
• . . .
Grad / Pre-reg
• Senior Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Division / BU Manager
• . . .

17. 17
An example of career development in the Industry
Entry level Junior executive Middle
management
Management Senior
Management
Top
management
• Medical / Sales
Representative
• Product
Executive
• Pharmacist
• Medical Executive
• Key Account
Executive
• Product / Brand
Executive
• Sales Supervisor
• Pharmacist /
Regulatory Affairs
Executive
• Business Dev
Executive
• Sales Supervisor /
Sales Manager
• (Group) Product
Manager
• Key Account
Manager
• Sales & Marketing
Manager /
Marketing Manager
/ National Sales
Manager
• RA Manager
• Business Unit
Manager / Division
Manager / Sr
Manager
• Sales & Marketing
Manager /
Marketing Manager
/ National Sales
Manager
• RA Manager
• General Manager
• Marketing Director
/ Sales Director /
BD Director / …
• Regulatory Affairs
Director
• Regional Manager
/ Director
• Vice President
• Managing
Director
• CEO
• Chairman
• President
Job titles cld be deceiving!….important to know the job description, turnover, roles &
responsibilities, company size, …
Money is NOT everything!….other important factors to consider include work environment,
prospect and advancement, job enrichment, learning environment, …
Consideration:
(1) Job description (2) Management/Supervisor (3) Colleagues (4) Environment (culture) (5) Career
advancement (6) Remuneration

18. 18
What do employers look for during
interview . . .?

19. 19
Know “yourself” & your career goals, aspiration, …
Which is “Best” for me…?
• KNOW YOURSELF:
1. Like to meet people?
2. “Thick” skin? Shy?
3. Freedom or “9 to 5”? Working
weekends? On call…?
4. Physical pressure vs mental
pressure, sales pressure…?
5. Like to travel? “Homely”
type?
6. Status conscious: job,
company?
7. Monetary reward vs job
nature?
8. Etc, etc, …
• JOB & COMPANY:
1. Job (clinical) knowledge
2. Focus vs multi-tasks
3. Clinical environment vs retail
environment vs office
environment vs “field” works?
4. Career development /
opportunities
5. Travels (esply if regional role)
6. Local vs MNC?
7. “Big” vs “small” companies?
8. Etc, etc, …

20. 20
What are the attributes of a “Ideal” (good) employee?
• PERSONAL QUALITIES:
1. Communication skills
2. Decisiveness
3. Dependability
4. Independence
5. Creativity
6. Human relations skills
7. Teamwork
8. Initiative
9. Adherence to policy
10. . . .
• PERFORMANCE / EXPERIENCE:
1. Job knowledge
2. Job scope achievement
3. Productivity
4. Effectiveness & accuracy
5. Problems analysis and judgement
6. Availability
7. Organizing ability
8. Administrative skills
9. Maintenance and operation of
equipment
10. Responsibility
“PTCA” culture: Proactiveness/Positiveness Teamwork/Transparency
Communication/Commitment Action-oriented/Attitude

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Take home message . . .

22. 22
Aptitude vs Attitude

23. 23
IQ, SQ & EQ

24. 24
IQ vs EQ
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive,
nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive
to change.”

25. 25
Questions?
More information:
LinkedIn/ykpng
yongkohpng@lfasia.com
Thank You