IN BRIEF: Pharma companies have been posting jobs on LinkedIn almost every day. While most offices remain closed pharma is preparing for the launch of new products and has to have the infrastructure to ensure a successful launch.

I keep in touch with all my clients via email newsletters and ask them to “stay in touch”. It seems that this year, I’ve been seeing more people leave for other jobs within the industry or clients asking me to suggest people for open positions.

This is a great time for people who want to be the change they want to see to work in pharma. Patients and HCP’s are changing in real-time and it’s going to take skill and out-of-the-box thinking to reach them. It’s also a good time to review processes to ensure they add value to patients and physicians.

I often am contacted by graduating students who want to know what it’s like to work in pharma. Obviously the experience can vary wildly between companies but it’s a good time if you want to learn and are ready to challenge the status quo.

I’ve seen a real change in the way people are making treatment decisions when it comes to prescription drugs. They’re doing more online research and listening more to what other patients have to say. Yet, too many pharma companies don’t get social media snapshots of what’s being said.

When I prepared a social media dashboard for a client on shingles I was taken back by the amount of misinformation in social media, particularly in Facebook groups. In correct information about vaccines and other treatments was rampant. It’s why pharma has to provide links to credible online health information.

Now would be a great time to build your emarketing team. You need people who can understand what your brand is trying to do and develop an online strategy that checks all the boxes. They can also help you sort out agency bullshit from real tactics that are going to drive brand objectives.

Is HCP marketing changing?

As of today the only pharma company that is laying off salespeople is Genetech. Others seem to be hiring and they’re hiring MSL people as well. Today a great MSL team can mean the difference between a successful brand launch and a flop.

The answer to that is yes, and no. Sure patients are staying away from doctors’ offices now but do we know for sure that trend will last? Probably for Millennials who see a doctor visit as nothing more than a step to get an Rx the answer is yes but for older patients talking to a doctor in person can bring peace of mind even though older patients have been embracing telehealth.

The other area I see hiring is marketing. In an era where patients have a lot of choices, marketing can be a crucial component of any brand strategy. Pharma websites are in need of a major overhaul in terms of strategy and implementation by people who understand online healthcare marketing. They are rare and tend to get frustrated by Pharma’s slow pace so jobs are there.

A career in pharma can be rewarding and frustrating but if you focus on what’s really important, helping people, you’ll have the motivation to succeed. If you really love the industry as I do you’ll be willing to roll up your sleeves to “get it done”.