A Study on Role and Function of the Medical Representatives

의약정보담당자(MR)의 기능 및 역할에 관한 연구

Background : Aim of this study is focused on the analysis of the needed abilities of medical representatives resulting in building up the market and increasing sales. It is to propose methods to increase this ability ensuring continuous growth in market share and profit. Methods : A survey was conducted between January 6 and May 31, 2003. Using SPSS(Version 10.0), the collected data was analyzed by Hotelling T2, factor analysis. Some hypotheses were selected to include the conclusion. Some questionnaires for physicians working in hospitals or clinics and the medical representatives working in a pharmaceutical company were created and asked to them to either prove or reject those hypotheses. The results were analyzed to find the primary factors that effect the interactions between physician and the medical representatives. These factors were also studied along with the theoretical research based on published references. Results : The results were as follows. The main reasons for the physician to meet with a medical representatives were collection of product informations needed for patient treatment and collection of informations on current medical issue and as well as personal interests. The main parameters by which physicians evaluate the medical representatives are human relationship including sincerity and manners and supply of accurate and unbiased information on products. Overall, the medical representatives' perception on the importance of medical knowledge and ability to deliver it are lower than that expected by physicians. Conclusion : Medical and pharmaceutical companies' environment are changed rapidly. And those changes forced medical representatives to set new roles and competency. In order to drive away from the past 'rule of thumb' and 'adaptation to circumstance', optimal method and systemic development to train and support the medical representatives should be quipped. They will help medical representatives to be specialists in medical knowledge and to understand the exact need of health care professions. Product competitiveness will be increased and eventually successful business can be achieved through it.