The NAPSRx is helping to meet the demand for educated pharmaceutical sales representatives through an online career training programme offered in partnership with the National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives (NAPSRx). The 120-hour Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative (CNPR) course is offered exclusively through Education to Go's partnership with major colleges and universities. Pharmaceutical sales representatives are professionals in the healthcare industry that strive to introduce a company's portfolio of drugs to the market by discussing the products with physicians, pharmacists or healthcare administrators. They are the first point of contact for information between the company and the client. While there are no licence requirements for this field, many employers seek applicants who have completed industry training and certification.

Developed in response to a rising demand for certified pharmaceutical sales representatives, the nationally recognised online certification and CNPR sales training programme provides individuals with the tools to gain entry-level jobs in the industry. Upon registering for the course, students automatically gain membership with NAPSRx and become eligible to sit for the CNPR national certification exam at no additional cost.

"There is a great demand for pharmaceutical sales reps, which means there is an equal need for solid training devices," said Brad Sullivan, NAPSRX CNPR Education Coordinator. "In short order, this programme will become one of our most popular offerings at colleges and online through the NAPSRx. Pharmaceutical sales can be a very rewarding career, and the first step toward realising that is completing our course."

Even if students lack a formal pharmacology and medical education, the programme can ready them for a long and successful career by imparting information regarding general medical terminology, clinical pharmacology, managed care, drug sampling rules, effective selling techniques and more.

Upon completing the course, students will have gained a comprehensive understanding of the industry, including the role of the FDA, drug products and developments, and how to make an effective sales pitch. Students will also be prepared to take the NAPSRx's CNPR certification exam.

"The field is adding 8,400 new jobs this year, and obviously they can't all be filled by experienced reps," said NAPSRx Education Manager Brad Sullivan. "Companies will not only be looking to hire professionals who can sell and motivate physicians to buy their brand, but also for someone who can speak intelligently about the health industry and its products. Cengage’s programme is a great avenue to gain the knowledge of clinical pharmacology and medical terminology that is essential to success."

Cengage Learning Services is the largest provider of Web-based, instructor-supported training to community colleges and universities. Cengage's courses are open enrollment, allowing interested students to start their desired training immediately. Cengage's online career training courses are designed to provide the skills necessary to acquire professional caliber positions for many in-demand occupations.

The National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives is a trade association for the pharmaceutical, medical and biotech industry. NAPSRx represents sales representatives for these industries and is also a federally trademarked group. NAPSRx was initiated to educate, train, create standards and provide current information for professional pharmaceutical sales representatives as well as for individuals who want to gain entry into the industry.