PHARMACEUTICAL SALES CERTIFICATION PRC recommends only one certification program: certification by AAPSP. Why? This is the only program that offers unique content and current industry reports specifically researched and written by pharmaceutical sales professionals for the pharmaceutical industry. Keep in mind, however, that no certification is required by pharmaceutical companies or pharmaceutical managers.   Certification can offer a competitive advantage but only if the content in the program prepares you for a career in pharmaceutical sales. AAPSP certification is the only program offering true insider insights based on results in the field.     CERTIFICATION NOT REQUIRED Contrary to anything you may have read online, there is no entry-level pharmaceutical sales certification that is required by the pharmaceutical industry, and pharmaceutical companies do not require “certified” reps for any level of pharmaceutical sales professional (entry-level or otherwise). Absolutely NO certification is approved by the pharmaceutical industry.  Further, there is no one-size-fits-all certification for pharmaceutical sales.  Every pharmaceutical company has different needs in terms of necessary knowledge for sales reps. A company that promotes SSRI's (anti-depressants or Seratonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) for example would have a different training focus than a company that markets prescription drugs for birth control or fertility. Right? Of course!   JOBS Contact the Human Resources department of any top U.S. pharmaceutical company and inquire about their pre-hire training and “certification” requirements for entry-level pharmaceutical sales reps. No pharmaceutical company (not a single one) requires certification as a prerequisite for being hired as a pharmaceutical sales rep. If you see a posted pharmaceutical sales job indicating certification as a requirement or preference (note that such a posting is not likely to be made directly by a pharmaceutical company) , find out which pharmaceutical company is hiring and call that company’s HR department to inquire about pre-hire training requirements (i.e. certification, degree, etc.).     PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES DO NOT REQUIRE CERTIFICATION No pharmaceutical company requires or even indicates a preference for certification. A partial list of companies that do not require certification is below. If you find information to the contrary, please email us, and we will verify the information and post it as a resource for job seekers.   3M COR Knoll Sanofi-Synthelabo Abbott Cytoben Kos Schein Alcon Daiichi KV Schering Allergan Dey LaJolla Schwarz Alza Dura Lee Scios AHP Duramed Ligand Sepracor Amgen Eisai Mallinckrodt Serono Amylin Elan Merck Shire AstraZeneca Eli Lilly Mylan Sigma Tau Aventis Endo Nelson/Publicis Solvay Barr Labs Forest Labs Novartis Takeda Bausch & Lomb Genentech Novo Nordisk TAP Baxter Genzyme Organon Taro Bayer GlaxoSmithKline Ortho-McNeil Telluride Berlex ICN Paddock Labs TEVA Bertek IDEC Pan American Triange Biogen Innovex PDI UCB Boehringer Ingelheim IVAX Pfizer Unimed Bristol-Myers Squibb J & J Ranbaxy United Therapeutics Centocor Janssen Roche Wallace Chiron Jones  Roxane Wyeth Ciba King Sankyo     INDUSTRY REPORTS:   The Research & Development Process   by PhRMA, 2002   New Medicines Mean Strength for U.S. Economy   by PhRMA, 2002 SELLING SKILLS   Selling Skills: Traits of Pharmaceutical Sales Superstars   Author: Tim Connor   Published 1998   RECOMMENDED CERTIFICATION www.pharmaceuticalsales.org.     BENEFITS of CERTIFICATION “The purpose of any program you take or certification you receive is to help you get a job in pharmaceutical sales. To that end, any verifiable training that teaches you more about the pharmaceutical industry and how to be successful will benefit you in that it illustrates to a potential employer your commitment to a career in pharmaceutical sales. It shows that you have taken extra steps to prepare yourself for entering the industry.”   Pharmaceutical Sales Career Book Your Unfair Advantage for Breaking into Pharmaceutical Sales Order e-Book Now [$21.95]     www.PharmaceuticalSalesHelp.com © 2006 Pharmaceutical Resource Center. All rights reserved.