Certified Pharmaceutical Sales Representative (Exam Included)

Demonstrating your strong knowledge of core medical and scientific concepts will earn respect in the pharmaceutical industry. Your customers/physicians will see you as an added value and resource to their clinical practice. Upon successfully completing and passing all sections, you will receive a Pharmaceutical Representative Certification (PRC) offered by the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA).

This course bundle provides a foundational training platform to help you build relationships more effectively by increasing your knowledge in technical, scientific, and medical domains of knowledge. Additionally, this course of study provides all of the cornerstone areas necessary for any pharmaceutical sales representative which includes training on compliance, ethics, and regulations influencing the pharmaceutical industry.

The medical terminology course introduces key concepts of medical language and human anatomy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of body systems in health and disease. Students with prior knowledge can optionally test out by achieving a minimum score of 80%, replacing course content if desired. It is important to understand that this course feature only applies to the online Medical Terminology course.

With an industry-recognized PRC credential and specialized knowledge of medical concepts, you will be prepared to take the next step in your medical career or education.

Funding Disclaimer: For Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funded students, please consult with your funding source representative before taking advantage of the Medical Terminology test-out feature. Different funding programs may have specific requirements and/or restrictions. If you attempt the test-out feature(s) in the Medical Terminology course without getting approval, your funding benefits may be jeopardized.

What you will learn

• Professional ethics related to opioid use
• Ways to prevent fraud and abuse of prescription drugs
• Medical terminology and abbreviations
• FDA laws and regulations related to pharmaceutical industry marketing
• Pharmacoeconomic and pharmacology principles
• Anatomical and physiological effects of drugs
• How to analyze peer-reviewed literature

How you will benefit

• Learn the technical and scientific competencies necessary for any successful pharmaceutical sales representative
• Understand industry standards for professional ethics related to certain medicines
• Enhance your soft skills and learn how to be an effective sales professional
• Learn medical terminology to better communicate with medical professionals
• Earn a Pharmaceutical Representative Certification (PRC) offered by the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA)

1. Medical Terminology
1. Getting Started
2. How to Take This Course
3. Test-Out Exam 1: Lessons 1–Midterm Exam
4. Introduction to Medical Terminology and the Human Body in Health and Disease
5. The Musculoskeletal System
6. The Cardiovascular System
7. The Lymphatic and Immune Systems
8. The Respiratory System
9. The Digestive System
10. The Urinary System
11. Midterm
12. Test-Out Exam 2: Lessons 8–Final Exam
13. The Nervous System
14. Special Senses: The Eyes and Ears
15. The Integumentary System
16. The Endocrine System
17. Mental Health
18. Male and Female Reproductive Systems
19. Diagnostic Procedures, Nuclear Medicine, and Complementary Medicine
20. Final Exam
2. Certified Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
   1. A Foundation in Medical Terminology
      1. Medical Terminology and Abbreviations
      2. Structure of Medical Words
      3. Medical Terminology and Abbreviations by Therapeutic Area
   2. FDA Laws and Regulations Related to Pharma Industry Marketing
      1. The Importance of Interactions of Pharma companies with HCPS
   3. Principles of Pharmacoeconomics
      1. Introduction to Pharmacoeconomics
      2. Models of Pharmacoeconomic Analysis
      3. Assessment of Costs
      4. Timing Adjustments for Costs
      5. Assessment of Outcomes
      6. Conducting a Pharmacoeconomic Analysis
      7. Health Outcomes Research
   4. Introduction to Opioid use for Pharmaceutical Industry Professionals
      1. Pain and Analgesic Mechanisms
      2. Opioid Receptors and Drugs
   5. Basic Principles in Pharmacology
      1. Pharmacology
      2. Pharmacodynamics
      3. Pharmacokinetics
      4. Pharmacogenomics
   6. Anatomical and Physiological Effects of Drugs
      1. Homeostasis
      2. Organization of the Autonomous Nervous System
      3. Regulation of the Autonomous Nervous System
      4. Innervation, Receptors, and Locations
      5. Main Endocrine Systems
      6. Cardiovascular System
      7. Central Nervous System
      8. Respiratory System
      9. Oncologic Medication
   7. Prevention of Prescription Drug Fraud and Abuse
      1. Introduction to Prescription Drug Fraud and Abuse
      2. Drug Fraud and Waste
      3. Drug Abuse
      4. Recommendations from National Institute of Health (NIH), National Institute of Drug
      5. Strategies for Combatting Fraud and Abuse
   8. Analyzing Peer-Reviewed Literature On Pharmacological Treatments
      1. Introduction to Literature Searching
      2. Focusing Techniques
      3. Sources of Literature
      4. Evidence-Based Medicine and Study Design
      5. Reading Scientific Articles
      6. Comparison of Therapeutic Drug Classes, their Mechanism of Action, and Delivery System
      7. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System
   9. Comparison of Therapeutic Drug Classes, their Mechanism of Action, and Delivery System
      1. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 12 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader .
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment.

The following digital textbook for the Medical Terminology course is accessed via links in the course lessons:

• Comprehensive Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 1st Edition (eBook)

Please note: You will receive a digital book if the physical book is on backorder.

Prerequisites:

Prior to enrolling in this course, a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or 2 years of professional sales experience is required such as medical device sales, life sales in life sciences, technical sales or other related areas.

Certified Pharmaceutical Sales Representative is not an instructor facilitated course. However, support will be provided through email, online forms, and phone by a team of Pharmacists and PhD scientists as well as pharmaceutical industry executives with experience in sales and marketing.

Carline Dalgleish

Carline Dalgleish has worked in medical office administration for over 30 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Information Systems, a master's degree in Leadership, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Health Information Management. She is a Registered Health Information Administrator and an AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer. Dalgleish is the author of an ICD-10 coding system and also owns her own consulting firm.

Sharon L. Blackford

Sharon L. Blackford, MA, BA, RMA, has over 30 years of experience in the medical field. She has a Master's degree in Organizational Management, a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, and has served as a Registered Medical Assistant since 1994. Sharon was an active duty Clinical Specialist in the U.S. Army for 10 years. Sharon later moved to the Gulf Coast to accept a position as the Director of Education of Blue Cliff College and was promoted to Campus Director.

Stacey O'Brien

Stacey O'Brien has more than 10 years of experience in medical coding and reimbursement. Ms. O'Brien has been a risk adjustment coder for a Medicare advantage plan, audited medical records for a consulting firm, and currently supervises the coding and electronic claims submission process for a group medical practice. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a CPC coding certification from the AAPC.

Leahnata Davies

Dr. Leahnata Davies has been a nurse public health expert and nurse leader for over 20 years. Her teaching philosophy for health education is grounded and intertwined with her philosophy of nursing. Her hands-on experience in the nursing field has shaped the kind of teacher and mentor she hopes to be. She would like to set a foundation integrated with evidence-based practice to provide the basis of professional practice while supporting students' emotional, intellectual, and educational needs. Her desire to teach is twofold: She is committed to improving care for patients but also wants to continue to share her love of learning and passion for addressing the needs of the community, the healthcare system, and the learners. As an educator, she hopes to accomplish this through critical engagement, collaboration, and lifelong learning. Her health care experience includes progressive experience in clinical and public health, healthcare administration, case management, health education, and instruction. As a public health expert,

Dr. Davies has extensive experience assessing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the delivery of optimal care and services in diverse healthcare settings, including managing and executing government-funded care programs. In addition to a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Science from Walden University, Dr. Davies holds a Master of Public Health degree from Walden University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Felician College, Lodi, NJ.

Kate Moura Dos Santos

Kate Moura Dos Santos currently resides along the east coast in the beautiful state of Vermont. She started her career in the medical field in 1981 in the US ARMY as an active-duty Medical Secretary. After an honorable discharge, she became a Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) and Home Health Aide. She has worked in various capacities and disciplines including Med Surg, Neurology, ICU, Cardiac ICU, inpatient facilities as well as skilled nursing facilities, private homes, inpatient psych units and Alzheimer's memory units. She became so confident in her skills as an LNA, that in 2001, she became owner and operator of "Changing Seasons Home Health Care". She realized while operating her home care business, that she enjoyed teaching and training others in becoming proficient as an LNA, home health care aide.

Alexis M. Ramirez

Alexis M Ramirez, DNP, MSN, NPD-BC, CCRN has worked as a Registered Nurse (RN) for many years in cardiovascular critical care as well as taught in the acute care and academic settings. In addition to serving the community through care delivery, she has trained Patient Care Assistants, Monitor Technicians, Licensed Vocational Nurses, and Registered Nurses throughout her career.

Dr. Ramirez completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from California State University, Fresno in 2021. She completed her master's in nursing education from Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2014. She is board certified in Nursing Professional Development and as a Critical Care Nurse.

Betty Stahl

Betty Stahl holds a doctorate in pharmacy from Shenandoah University. Over the past several years, she has taught pharmacy technician programs at ASA College in New York City and ACT in Arlington, Virginia. Stahl has also worked as a pharmacist in independent and hospital settings.

Rox Ann Sparks, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE, CMHIMP, LNC

Dr. Rox Ann Sparks is an experienced nurse who has cared for patients and students in nearly every healthcare setting, with 35 years of practice in emergency medicine. Her nursing career has led her from obtaining her CNA, LVN, RN, and MSN to a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP).

Dr. Sparks has experience in being a floor nurse to a chair of nursing. She has developed many different healthcare programs, from PCT to BSN. She has also consulted in accreditation for nursing programs and presented numerous educational programs from natural health to chronic diseases. These experiences led her to become a Certified Nurse Educator.

Dr. Sparks is currently the CEO of Sparks Nursing Consulting, which helps patients become healthier by coaching them to better health. She works with multiple law firms on the defense of nursing standards. She also developed an RN NCLEX review book and app to use the questions and multiple online courses for nurses and healthcare support staff.

Mary Mould

Mary Mould has a bachelor's in veterinary technology and a master's in education. She has taught veterinary technology courses for 22 years and distance education for over 24 years. Completing her education through distance learning has been extremely helpful in understanding her students and the variables that go along with distance learning.

Does this course prepare you for a certification?

Yes. Upon successful completion of the course you will receive a Pharmaceutical Representative Certification (PRC).

Can I test-out of medical terminology content if I have previous knowledge of medical terminology?

Yes. This course includes two, optional, Test-Out Exam features that will allow you to test out of content and graded assessments if your score demonstrates the level of mastery required (80%). It does not count toward your overall score in this course if you do not achieve the minimum score required for mastery. Please note: Third party funded students may not be eligible.

When can I start the course?

This course is open enrollment, so you can register and start the course as soon as you are ready. Access to your course can take 24-48 business hours.

How long does it take to complete this course?

This course is self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start when you want and finish at your own pace. When you register, you'll receive six (6) months to complete the course.

What if I don't have enough time to complete my course within the time frame provided?

The time allotted for course completion has been calculated based on the number of course hours. However, if you are unable to complete the course, contact the student advising team to see what options you may have available to work out a suitable completion date. Please note that an extension fee may be charged.

What kind of support will I receive?

Our courses are designed to accommodate various learning preferences. Depending on the course structure, you may get different forms of support. Self-paced courses are designed to be user-friendly and independent, minimizing the need for external support. In courses with instructors, our direct platform support feature includes opportunities for questions, discussions, and remediation, with email and phone support available for select courses. Our student advising team is available to guide you on program requirements and administrative requests, but they do not provide assistance with course content. Our goal is to provide you with the necessary support for success, whether it's through self-paced exploration, direct communication, or guidance from our advising team.

What happens when I complete the course?

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.

Am I guaranteed a job?

This course will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

Can I get financial assistance?

This course is non-credit, so it does not qualify for federal aid, FAFSA and Pell Grant. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses. Additionally, some students may qualify for financial assistance when they enroll, if they meet certain requirements. Financing is available from select schools. Learn more about financial assistance.

How can I get more information about this course?

If you have questions that are not answered on our website, representatives are available by phone. You can also call us at 1-855-532-7642 during regular business hours to have your questions promptly answered. If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please send us a question using the "Contact Us" form.