Traffic ba from Makati Medical center at may coverage ka pa papuntang St. Lukes Global City? Why not try riding a helicopter, especially if you have the money? Aba, may murang paraan!

Pero hindi katulad ng nasa photo, ha. Joke lang yun. For all seriousness, there's a new company offering a helicopter ride-sharing service that promises to cut travel time in just a few minutes. That tech startup is called Ascent Urban Air Mobility, and according to them, passengers can book a helicopter seat through their website (http://ascent.flights) and fly from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to central business districts in Makati, Bonifacio Global City, Quezon City, Clark and Tagaytay.

With prices starting from P6,900 for a flight from Makati to Bonifacio Global City, pharmaceutical execs, most probably your ex-pat bosses, will be able to visit the top consultant in St. Lukes BGC. If they want to unwind, they only pay P21,900 so they can fly from NAIA to Tagaytay or P25,900 from NAIA to Clark.

Pharmaceutical companies can utilize this service for their top clients, especially if this turns out to be a "necessity" instead of a luxury. Through the pharma companies, doctors could get this service if there is a life-or-death situation and they need to go from their clinic to another hospital. Basically, this could circumvent The Mexico Principles and can be offered only as an "emergency" option. Imagine, giving an annual ride allocation to your top doctors with the condition that they can only use this for an extreme patient emergency.

Product Managers, something to think about.

This article is intended for all patients.

Bakit nga ba pumupunta sa clinic ng doctor and mga Medrep? Minsan mas madami pa ang mga Medrep na naghihintay sa doctor kaysa sa pasyente. Minsan, ang la-lakas pa ng loob na sumingit. Aba! Tatlong oras na nga na naghihintay kayo para makita ng mga doctor, tapos itong si Medrep ay pasingit singit lang, at inuunahan pa kayo. Ang masaklap, mga senior citizen karamihan sa mga pasyente. Nakaka ubos ng pasensya at ng oras, hindi po ba?

On behalf of all those people working in the pharmaceutical industry, our sincere apologies. We do understand all your sentiments and if we were on your shoes, we will feel exactly the same. Sabi nga, trabaho lang po. Pero, ano nga ba itong trabaho ng Medrep?

Medreps are just like salesmen, but instead of physically selling medicines to the doctors, they sell the merits of the product that they are promoting. The features and benefits of the brand are what convince the doctor to prescribe that product to a specific patients type or condition. So, pag and profile mo ay tulad ng isinasalarawan ng mga scientific studies na kayang pagalingin ng gamot na pino-promote, ma re-resetahan ka ni doctor ng gamot na yon.

Ngayon, bakit andami-daming Medrep? Noong panahon ng mga lolo at lola natin, konti lamang ang mga kumpanya ng gamot. And mostly, they are the one who did the research and development as well as marketing. As technology and manufacturing capabilities improve, the number of drug companies also increases. Fast forward to present times, even before the Cheaper Medicines law came into effect, there are several Filipino companies are engaged in manufacturing, importing and/or distributing pharmaceutical products. Dagdagan mo pa ang pagpasok ng mga pharmaceutical companies from India and other countries, which all of them wanted a slice sa growing market ng Pilipinas.

The Philippine pharmaceutical industry has contributed thousands upon thousands of jobs, and the majority of that workforce are field personnel, which in turn contribute to the economy of the country. So, pag may nakikita kang Medrep, konting pasensya. Kasi, kailangan nilang mabisita si dok dahil doon nakasalalay ang kabuhayan nila.

Pero puwede nyo kutusan kung pasaway.

Joke lang.

Sila ate nga ba ang isa sa mga balakid sa tagumpay or isa sila sa susi para ikaw ay kumota?

The medical secretaries are considered one of the gatekeepers in our profession. They serve as the first line of defense of doctors towards the patients and of course, the medical representatives. They make sure that the patients were scheduled and treated properly. They also make sure that Medreps only see the doctor when there are no patients yet or to make sure that the doctor adheres to his appointments.

Maraming personality ang mga secretary and I know that you have encountered a lot of them. Based on my experience when I was a Medrep, there is a secretary na super sungit, pero kailangan mo siyang makita kasi top doctor ang alaga niya. Anong ginawa ko? Lagi lang naman ako bumibili ng tinda niya para may utang na loob siya sa akin para pasingitin ako. Sometimes, madami akong bibilhin kahit hindi ako mag cover para mas gumaan ang loob niya sa akin.

Secretaries are also an important source of information regarding your doctor, your competitors and the patients. They can provide invaluable insights that you cannot get from statistics and research.

And it is so easy to manage them! Bigyan mo lang ng time na makipag kuwentuhan sa kanila. Sakyan mo kung ano ang hilig nila kahit ba teleserye or koreanovela pa yan. Hindi naman kailangan mastering mo yun, basta lang familiar ka. Malay mo, baka hilig din ni doc yun.

Ultimately, if you don't pay extra attention to them and their quirks, they can make or break you. Pag hindi ka na ka cover, wala kang rapport sa doctor. At pag wala kang rapport, wala kang reseta, patay ka kay boss.

District Managers are actually in the best position to help you get more sales, especially if you are new to the territory or you only got 90% sales versus target and you're finding it difficult to get more. They have inside knowledge of where to get sales in your territory or how to upsell. That's why you should always ask for a work-with if you are on a sales drive.

I fondly remember my first boss. She was a very good sales person and an ideal boss. She's a very assertive person and knows the ins and out of my territory. We would go on sales-drives and manage to double the orders from drugstores and dispensing doctors. Her skills are something that is not taught in training sessions and can only be learned through experience and mentoring.

So guys, don't be afraid to ask for your manager's help even if there are no scheduled fieldwork in your area. It is part of her responsibility to help, assist and guide you. After all, your productivity reflects theirs. You just have to ensure that you have exhausted all efforts and asking her is the last resort. You also need to ensure that there's ample time for them to assist you.

Yup, in today's setting, malaking bagay ang "chika". Let's say na yung 10% detailing is the actual "selling" part or detailing, where you probe about the doctor's needs, do some benefit selling, and finally close. But yung chika part ay malalim.

It takes skills and a lot of hardwork to master the art of chika. Chika is the sum total of your personality, social awareness, and general information. Kahit super talino ka pero wala ka namang personality, hindi mo magagamit yan sa realworld setting. Ang mga batikan na reps, kahit hindi mahilig sa pusa, as long as yun ang trigger ng doctor, mag re-research yan and once na nakausap si Doc, parang expert sa pusa si Medrep. Gets mo?

Kung mga inferior medicines nga can be prescribed, kasi "mabait" si Medrep and "masaya" pag andyan siya. What if you have the right product, and you are the right Medrep for the job, mas malaking chance na ma prescribe ang product mo.

When I was a Medrep, I had to go out of my way to understand golf and Formula 1 racing, because that was the two topic ang hilig ng magkakabarkadaing doctor na target ko. Research ginawa ko, mga bes! Aside from Google, I watched games and races on TV. I also bought my own Golf clubs and watched races in Subic!

In conclusion, pag pupunta ka sa clinic ni Doc, madami ka dapat baon na Chika. Hindi lang product knowledge. Kasi ang product knowledge, hindi masyadong nagbabago yan, pero ang Chika, may weekly updates.

This is a very sensitive topic, which happens not just in the pharmaceutical industry but also in other industry as well. There are managers that are very friendly and touchy-feely that are borderline sexual harassment, but not that much.

But if you feel that's the case yet you are uncomfortable speaking directly to your boss about it for fear of him getting back at you, it is better to talk to someone you really trust and get some advice.

It is better from the very start that you set your boundaries. You can always verbalize that you do not want other people touching you, even if it's a joke or for friendly reasons. Set an example from the very start and much better if you tell it to the group.

Ultimately, if you really feel uncomfortable and the boss tried it again, you have the right to make a proper complaint or notification with the HR. File a complaint if the boss really did something malicious, or you may instead ask for a re-assignment and you may confidentially share to HR your reasons behind for the request.

The Medrep's job starts in the morning. Yes, alam ko madaming Medrep umaalis ng bahay ng tanghali na kasi ang dahilan nila later pa ang coverage. But there are a lot of things to be accomplished in the morning bago mag area. After shower, a Medrep opens his or her email to check for sales updates, company schedules and report requests.

I myself spend at least two hours for "admin" work. Yes, that is what I, and several others call it. Habang gumagawa ng reports, nanonood ako ng TV, kumakain at nag che-check ng Facebook. Yan ang pinaka importanteng qualities na meron ka dapat: multi-tasking.

Every person has their own thing in the morning. There are some who finished all their "admin" work in the evening and spend an extra hour in bed in the morning. Pero, nakahanda ang mga yan. Pag biglang nag ring ang cellphone, takbo agad yan sa kotse, pa-paandarin, bago sagutin ang phone call ni Boss.

Boss: Pre, kamusta, san ang itinerary mo?
Medrep: Heto boss, nasa daan na for drugstore monitoring!

Galing, diba? Then the Medrep will comeback to bed for another 30 minutes.

Yes Doc, we know. Napaka daming medrep, Napaka dami din companies na sumusuyo sa iyo. Nakakainis, hindi po ba? Pero maraming salamat sa Pharmaceutical industry because they provided jobs to thousands upon thousands of Filipinos.

These hard working Medreps will visit you every week to give you a chance to catch your breath sa dami ng trabaho niyo. Sometimes, they make you laugh. Sometimes, they give you snacks. But most of the time, they are there to remind you that you need a couple of minute of a break from a lengthy discussion with your patients.

And Medreps are not doing this because they need you. They are doing this for their families. Yes, it is their job, and their job help put food in the table, provide education to their kids, and once in a while, take a break themselves.

Just one prescription lang, Doc. Thank you very much.

Babaero nga ba ang mga Medreps? Tanong ng mga ilang babae na may manliligaw na Medrep. Teka, let's try to see it from their point of view:

Ayan kasi, padating si kuya Medrep, pababa ng kanyang magandang kotse. At aba! Naka necktie pa. Pag pasok sa pinto ng Starbucks, maamoy mo na mamahalin ang pabango. Upon closer inspection, may magarang relos and may alahas. Pansin mo din yung mga ibang tao sa Starbucks, tumitingin sa kanya. Then, lalapit sa iyo, "San mo gusto mag date?"

Look, hindi porke't Medrep, babaero na. Kahit sinong lalaki puwedeng maging babaero, at kahit sino ding lalaki, puwedeng maging loyal. Yun nga lang, mas may confidence sa sarili si kuya Medrep. Ang payo ko sa inyo ate Girls, huwag nyo muna ibibigay ang inyong matamis na... oo.

Observe-observe muna. Give it time. Pahirapan nyo. Kasi if patient siya, he will stay. And i-verbalize mo yung condition na yan sa kanya. Okay?

Syempre, dapat graduate ka. But not necessarily that you should be a graduate of an allied medical course such as Nursing, Medtech or Biology. Sure there are companies that require that for specialized products. But majority of openings can hire you even if your course is Business, Education, Engineering, etc.

Ang mahalaga, you have the attitude to succeed. You are willing to go on fieldwork and you know how to drive. Plus points na if pogi or maganda ka. Pero kahit hindi, dapat neat and malinis sa pananamit at katawan. If you have past experience in service or retail, that's a big factor, because at least, you have some experience in customer service.

For a more in-depth discussion regarding the needed qualifications on becoming a Medrep in the Philippines, please visit this link.

Many are still wondering kung ano ang trabaho ng isang Medrep. Here is the glamorous version. Kung alam lang nila na secretly, si Superman kayo.

Medical Representatives, or Medreps for short, is a person employed by pharmaceutical companies to persuade doctors to prescribe their drugs to patients. Medreps relay the drug's features and benefits to physicians, They also share results of various clinical studies pertaining to a disease, as well as the role of the drugs they are promoting in that disease. Medreps arrange product presentation or scientific discussion to physicians.

And hindi lang yan, marami pa! Specially dito sa Pilipinas, may mga masisipag na Medrep na they will go the extra mile para lang makuha ang reseta. Medreps will go on extreme lenghts like, driving the doctor and/or his family like an Uber driver. They bring them food whenever the physician says they are hungry, parang Food Panda. At marami pang iba.

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