Sari Taipalus, pharmaceutical sales representative, is a member of the internal medicine and basic creams team.
She provides doctors with the following information on Orion’s internal medicine and skin cream products:
- their properties and related research, and hands out patient leaflets, etc.
- products entering and leaving the market.
- changes to packaging.
At pharmacies, she keeps staff informed of changes to:
- all of Orion’s prescription medicines.
- products entering and leaving the market.
“In my job, I need extensive knowledge of pharmaceuticals and general knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry. I am a pharmacist by education and have worked in Orion’s sales and marketing department for more than 20 years, so I have gained a lot of experience,” says Taipalus.
The work of a pharmaceutical sales representative is varied, flexible and fun. According to Taipalus, the best part of the job is meeting clients and a cheerful mood easily spreads to all participants in the meetings. Pharmaceutical sales representatives and salespeople are usually sociable and outgoing people who enjoy meeting different people.
“It’s a nice and positive job, and I love using my skills to help healthcare and pharmacy professionals.”
The three best aspects of my job – Sari Taipalus
- The social aspect, variety and flexibility. I don’t really enjoy office work, and prefer meeting people and doing practical work.
- Ongoing training and product support. I am always equipped with plenty of information about pharmaceuticals and studies, which allows me to provide customers with only up-to-date and valid information.
- Responsible employer and high-quality, Finnish products.
You can plan your own work schedule
A large part of Taipalus’ working days is spent on the road. To minimise commuting distances, the areas served by pharmaceutical sales representatives and salespersons are determined according to their place of residence. Taipalus’ area includes Satakunta, Kanta-Häme, Southwest Finland and Åland. After all the remote meetings held during the coronavirus pandemic, customers have mainly been requesting face-to-face meetings.
“Meetings are scheduled according to the timetables of hospitals and large health centres. If I have arranged a meeting with the doctors at the health centre in Kankaanpää, I often arrange other meetings in nearby areas. This makes my work more efficient,” says Taipalus.
Working days can be long sometimes if there are several meetings and several hours of driving during the day. On the other hand, other days can be shorter. In addition to meeting clients, the job also includes days at the office for reporting and planning of visits. Time is also regularly set aside for training to ensure that knowledge is always up to date. A large share of Taipalus’ working hours is also spent training pharmacy and medical students and healthcare and pharmacy professionals.
“I like being able to plan my own working week. My work is, of course, steered and structured by targets, and unexpected situations can sometimes arise, which means I have to change plans quickly. Flexibility is important in my work.”
Promoting patients’ overall wellbeing feels meaningful
In addition to providing pharmaceutical information, pharmaceutical sales representatives inform clients about the sustainability of the pharmaceutical supply chain, provide research data on diseases and offer guidance on how to lead a healthier life. The induction and training of employees is taken care of properly. Taipalus likes the way that training sessions are slipped in amongst the rest of the work, as this means you can always be confident that you are in possession of the latest knowledge.
“I think it is particularly meaningful to be able provide clients with up-to-date information on internal diseases and patient leaflets that help patients to manage their own disease better. This means that the information we provide does not extend to pharmaceuticals alone but also includes the patient’s overall well-being,” says Taipalus.
