Pharmaceutical Sales and Key Account Management: Prescriber Targeting and Hospital Accounts – London, 5–9 Jul 2027

Programme overview

Introduction:

Pharmaceutical sales teams find that doctors grant fewer and shorter visits, hospital formulary committees and tenders decide which medicines reach wards, and pharmacies and distributors shape availability, yet many medical representatives still repeat one detailing message to every prescriber. This Core Concept course trains medical representatives, pharma key account managers and first-line field managers to segment prescribers, plan territories and calls, detail with clinical evidence within ethical promotion principles and manage hospital, pharmacy and distributor accounts. Participants produce a Hospital Key Account Plan and rehearse a detailing call.

Course Objectives:

• Map the pharma customer landscape of prescribers, hospital pharmacy, community pharmacies, distributors and payers for a territory
• Segment and target prescribers by potential and adoption stage, then set call frequencies and a weekly call cycle
• Deliver a detailing call that explains clinical study evidence accurately at non-clinical level and within ethical promotion principles
• Handle efficacy, safety, cost and habit objections raised by physicians, pharmacists and nurses
• Plan formulary listing, tender follow-up and stakeholder coverage for hospital accounts and review pharmacy and distributor accounts
• Record calls in CRM, read field KPIs and coach representatives using a call observation checklist

Target Audience:

• Field representatives who visit physicians, pharmacists and nurses to promote prescription medicines
• Hospital account staff who follow formulary listings, tenders and departmental usage in assigned hospitals
• Pharma key account staff who manage relationships with hospital groups, pharmacy chains and distributors
• First-line field managers who set territory targets, review call reports and coach representatives
• Pharmacy and trade channel staff who manage stock availability and ordering with retail pharmacies

Course Outline:

Day 1: Pharma Market, Customer Map and Territory Baseline

• Pharma Customer Map: Prescribers, Hospital Pharmacy, Community Pharmacies and Payers
• Prescription Journey From Diagnosis to Dispensing and Repeat Prescription
• Medical Representative and Key Account Manager Role Profiles Compared
• Territory Current-State Audit: Call Coverage, Frequency and Share of Voice
• Ethical Promotion Code Principles: Truthful Claims, Fair Balance and Hospitality Limits

Day 2: Prescriber Targeting, Segmentation and Call Planning Models

• Prescriber Decile Segmentation by Potential and Current Prescribing
• Adoption Ladder Staging: Unaware, Trialist, Regular and Advocate Prescribers
• Target List and Call Frequency Matrix by Prescriber Segment
• Territory Routing Plan and Weekly Call Cycle Calendar
• Pre-Call Plan Template: Call Objective, Key Message and Agreed Next Step

Day 3: Evidence-Based Detailing and Objection Handling With Healthcare Professionals

• Reading a Clinical Study Summary: Endpoints, Comparator and Headline Results at Non-Clinical Level
• Detail Aid Flow: Opening Question, Evidence Point, Visual Support and Close
• Physician Need Probing and Listening Cues in Short Clinic Visits
• Objection Handling Framework for Efficacy, Safety, Cost and Prescribing Habit
• Pharmacist and Nurse Detailing Adaptation and Adverse Event Report Handover

Day 4: Hospital Formulary, Tender, Pharmacy and Distributor Accounts

• Hospital Formulary Committee Dossier and Listing Pathway
• Hospital Tender Calendar, Technical Specification Review and Bid Follow-Up
• Hospital Stakeholder Map: Department Heads, Clinical Pharmacists, Procurement and Opinion Leaders
• Pharmacy Chain and Distributor Account Review: Stock Cover, Order Frequency and Shelf Availability
• CRM Call Reporting and Field KPIs: Reach, Frequency, Coverage and Prescription Uptake

Day 5: Hospital Key Account Plan and Detailing Call Role-Play

• Case Hospital Account Briefing: Departments, Formulary Status and Competitor Position
• Hospital Key Account Plan Drafting: Account Objectives, Stakeholder Actions and Tender Milestones
• Field Coaching Ride-Along Using a Call Observation Checklist
• Detailing Call Role-Play With a Sceptical Department Head and Structured Feedback
• Hospital Key Account Plan Presentation and Peer Challenge

Skills You Will Gain:

• Prescriber Segmentation
• Territory and Call Cycle Planning
• Clinical Evidence Detailing
• Healthcare Professional Objection Handling
• Formulary and Tender Account Management
• Pharmacy and Distributor Account Review
• Field Performance Reporting
• Representative Field Coaching

Why Attend This Course:

• Return with a Hospital Key Account Plan built on a case hospital, covering formulary status, stakeholders and tender milestones
• Rehearse a detailing call with a sceptical department head and receive structured feedback before the next field visit
• Spend limited visit time on the prescribers and accounts most likely to change prescribing, rather than calling on everyone equally
• Compare field practice with peers from originator, generic and distribution companies working with public and private hospitals

Conclusion:

Prescribing and hospital listing decisions follow evidence, access and relationships built call by call and account by account. The course moves from the pharma customer map and territory baseline, through prescriber segmentation and call planning, to evidence-based detailing and objection handling, then hospital formulary and tender accounts, pharmacy and distributor accounts and field KPIs. The final day produces a Hospital Key Account Plan for a case hospital and rehearses the detailing call that puts it into action.