Tuesday 21 February 2012

Latest on the NHS Health Bill http://ping.fm/ydhfN

Monday 20 February 2012

Clinical Therapeutics Specialist - Orphan products - Northern UK/ Southern UK/ Ireland - Excellent reward package - 4724

New Opportunity - Clinical Therapeutics Specialist - Orphan Product - New product launch opportunity.

Three territories:-

1. Northern England & Scotland

2. Southern England & Wales

3. Ireland

As a medical sales professional launching a new entity in to the market is one of the most thrilling and challenging career landmarks. For our client, there is just one chance to bring their new product to market; hence we are in search of an elite salesperson who can establish a breakthrough treatment in key centres across your territories. You must:
- Thrive in a fast-paced working environment
- Be able to work with your internal and external stakeholders to drive through results
- Understand the market dynamics, particularly around funding and use of Orphan status products
- Have sound planning skills with strong commercial judgement
- Be motivated by the ultimate goal of improving patients’ lives

Critical to your success will be the ability to remove any barriers to usage of the specialist product so as all relevant patients who would benefit have access to the drug. You would need to;
- Develop and execute specific account plans
- Communicate disease and product knowledge effectively
- Create a long-term ‘partnership’ and value propositions with all key stakeholders

This is a high profile sales role requiring a range of transferable skills and knowledge; it is likely you can demonstrate the following:
- A proven track record of sales success in your pharmaceutical/biotech career to date
- Experience of selling in a highly specialist market (Orphan products, other high cost:low volume areas)
- An understanding of the healthcare regulatory environment
- Excellence in selling skills, account management and networking
- Prior product launch experience will be an advantage
- Degree level education
- Valid UK driving license (max 6 pts)
You will need to able to cover your territory effectively so a willingness to travel/stay overnight, as the business requires, is a must.

The successful person will be joining a new sales team and be at the forefront of future growth plans for this ambitious company. On offer is a top end basic salary plus an extensive benefits package.
To be considered for this exciting vacancy please send your CV to administrator@2020selection.co.uk or call our specialist team on 0845 026 2020.

http://ping.fm/mJhe3

Friday 17 February 2012

Superb Opportunity - Hospital Sales Representative - Portfolio of specialist IV products - North East and East Midlands, England

Hospital Sales Specialist - Basic to £45k, OTE £60k++An opportunity to develop your talents working for a leading global Healthcare Company. Our client is currently looking for a Sales Specialist to develop the business in key hospital accounts throughout the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands. Although a large geographical area this is a focused and targeted role with an emphasis on key account management.
This organisation has built an enviable portfolio of products and services that push back the frontiers of medical care and ultimately ensuring a better quality of life for people everywhere.
This opportunity for a Sales Specialist is an integral part of a specialty sales team reporting to the National Sales & Marketing Manager. You would be fully supported by internal functions such as marketing, customer services, logistics and shared services; YOU would be the interface of the company and the customer. With a drive for increased Patient Safety, in the NHS, when administering medication, our client is an excellent position to develop partnerships in hospital trusts. This role will involve selling new as well as some established products and services.
Key responsibilities would include:- Developing and implementing appropriate strategies for agreed customer targets with the objective of driving sales results and achieving or exceeding budgets. - To identify key finance and clinical decision makers within Consortia, Hospitals and Units and arrange meetings to promote relevant products and services - Gathering intelligence on customer plans and purchasing intentions and recommend responsive, timely and appropriate action.- Maintaining a high level of knowledge of the therapy area and related products - In conjunction with the National Sales Manager and wider commercial management team, provide informed input into/manage the tender process.- Calling on key customers as per your business plan (Clinical/Aspectic/Purchasing Pharmacists, Procurement, Clinicians, Specialist Nurses)
To be considering for this exciting opportunity you are likely to have- Previous hospital sales experience (2 years)- Knowledge/Experience of NHS structure & buying processes - Life sciences degree, nursing qualification, business degree (or equivalent experience in UK healthcare market for minimum of 2 years)- ABPI qualification and/or willing to study if required.
In return for your expertise if successful you will be offered a competitive salary & excellent benefits package including an uncapped bonus scheme. You will also receive first rate training and ongoing development.
To discuss this role in more detail please contact us on 0845 026 2020 or alternatively please submit your details by emailing administrator@2020selection.co.uk

Thursday 9 February 2012

NHS Patient Safety - Reducing Medication Errors

How can Pharmaceutical Companies contribute to improving NHS Patient Safety?

They can demonstrate ‘added value’ , for example, by either offering products which contribute directly to making the administration of medicines safer by helping to reduce:-




a.Making the drug up to the wrong strength
b.Using the wrong diluent
c.Microbial or other forms of contamination
d.Labelling errors
e.Administration by the incorrect route by clearer design/packaging of the product

The products which are commonly offered as part of a compounding service include:-
a.Cytotoxics
b.Antibiotics
c.Inotropes
d.Potassium solutions
e.TPN
f.Unlicensed medicines

In addition, the provision of non-promotional training/educational services to healthcare professionals in the form of Continuing Professional Development events and nurse advisor teams helps to educate NHS staff on how to administer medicines more

a.Confidently
b.Accurately
c.Competently


The Department of Health (DH) has issued the following list of ‘Never Events’ for 2012-13. The list is circulated to a wide range of NHS managers, clinicians and healthcare professional allied to medicine.

The document authors are the DH’s Patient Safety and Investigations unit. The purpose of the document is to highlight certain events which are deemed to be very serious risks to the standard of care to patients, but most importantly avoidable.

The document forms part of the wider DH’s Patient Safety Agenda policy and should be read in conjunction with the NHS Standards Contract for organisations providing services to the NHS
1.Wrong site surgery
2.Wrong implant/prosthesis
3.Retained foreign object post-operation
4.Wrongly prepared high-risk injectable medication
5.Maladministration of potassium-containing solutions
6.Wrong route administration of chemotherapy
7.Wrong route administration of oral/enteral treatment
8.Intravenous administration of epidural medication
9.Maladministration of Insulin
10.Overdose of midazolam during conscious sedation
11.Opioid overdose of an opioid-naïve patient
12.Inappropriate administration of daily oral methotrexate
13.Suicide using non-collapsible rails
14.Escape of a transferred prisoner
15.Falls from unrestricted windows
16.Entrapment in bedrails
17.Transfusion of ABO-incompatible blood components
18.Transplantation of ABO incompatible organs as a result of error
19.Misplaced naso- or oro-gastric tubes
20.Wrong gas administered
21.Failure to monitor and respond to oxygen saturation
22.Air embolism
23.Misidentification of patients
24.Severe scalding of patients
25.Maternal death due to post partum haemorrhage after elective Caesarean section
Source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_132352.pdf

You can read the whole document if you wish, but the indicators within the specific areas where the Pharmaceutical Industry has opportunities to work in conjunction with the NHS includes:-





4.Wrongly prepared high-risk injectable medication
· Death or severe harm as a result of a wrongly prepared high-risk injectable medication.
· High-risk injectable medicines are identified using the NPSA’s risk assessment tool1. A list of high-risk medicines has been prepared by the NHS Aseptic Pharmacy Services Group using this tool2. Organisations should have their own list of high-risk medications for the purposes of the “never event” policy, which may vary from the NHS Aseptic Pharmacy Services Group list, depending on local circumstances.
· A high risk injectable medicine is considered wrongly prepared if it was not; o prepared in accordance with the manufacturer's Specification of Product Characteristics;

1 NPSA High Risk Medication Risk Assessment Tool, 2007, available at
http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/EasySiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=60097&type=full&servicet ype=Attachment

2 Pharmaceutical Aseptic Services Group. Example risk assessment of injectable medicines. 2007. Available at http://www.civas.co.uk/
· This event excludes any incidents that are covered by other “never events”.
· Where death or severe harm cannot be attributed to incorrect preparation, treat as a Serious Untoward Incident.

5. Maladministration of potassium-containing solutions
Death or severe harm as a result of maladministration of a potassium-containing solution.
Maladministration refers to;
selection of strong potassium solution instead of intended other medication,
wrong route administration, for example a solution intended for central venous catheter administration given peripherally,
infusion at a rate greater than intended.

Setting: All healthcare settings.
Guidance: - Patient safety alert – Potassium chloride concentrate solutions, 2002 (updated 2003), available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59882





6. Wrong route administration of chemotherapy
Intravenous or other chemotherapy (for example, vincristine) that is correctly prescribed but administered via the wrong route (usually into the intrathecal space).

Setting: All healthcare premises.
Guidance: - HSC2008/001: Updated national guidance on the safe administration of intrathecal chemotherapy, available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstatistics/lettersandcirculars/healthservicecirculars/dh_ 086870 - Rapid Response Report NPSA/2008/RRR004 using vinca alkaloid minibags (adult/adolescent units), available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59890

7. Wrong route administration of oral/enteral treatment
Death or severe harm as a result of oral/enteral medication, feed or flush administered by any parenteral route.
Setting: All healthcare settings.
Guidance: - Patient Safety Alert NPSA/2007/19 - Promoting safer measurement and administration of liquid medicines via oral and other enteral routes, 2007, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59808

8. Death or severe harm as a result of intravenous administration of epidural medication.
A broader “never event” covering intravenous administration of intrathecal medication or The “never events” list 2012/13 9 intrathecal administration of intravenous medication is intended once the deadlines for Patient Safety Alert 004A and B actions have passed.
Setting: All healthcare premises.
Guidance: - Patient Safety Alert NPSA/2007/21, Safer practice with epidural injections and infusions, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59807 - Safer spinal (intrathecal), epidural and regional devices - Parts A and B, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?EntryId45=65259

9. Maladministration of Insulin
Death or severe harm as a result of maladministration of insulin by a health professional. Maladministration in this instance refers to when a health professional
uses any abbreviation for the words ‘unit’ or ‘units’ when prescribing insulin in writing,
issues an unclear or misinterpreted verbal instruction to a colleague,
fails to use a specific insulin administration device e.g. an insulin syringe or insulin pen to draw up or administer insulin, or
fails to give insulin when correctly prescribed.

Setting: All healthcare settings.
Guidance: - Rapid response report – Safer administration of insulin, 2010, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/alerts/?entryid45=74287 - NHS Diabetes – Safe use of insulin, 2010, available at http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk/safe_use_of_insulin/ - NHSIII Toolkit – Think Glucose, 2008, available at www.institute.nhs.uk/thinkglucose - NHS Diabetes guidance - The Hospital Management of Hypoglycaemia in Adults with Diabetes Mellitus, 2010, available at http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk/document.php?o=1037

19. Misplaced naso- or oro-gastric tubes
Death or severe harm as a result of a naso- or oro-gastric tube being misplaced in the respiratory tract.
Setting: All healthcare premises.
Guidance: - Patient safety alert – Reducing harm caused by misplaced nasogastric feeding tubes, 2005, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59794 - Patient safety alert – Reducing harm caused by misplaced naso and orogastric feeding tubes in babies under the care of neonatal units, 2005, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59798&q=0%c2%acnasogastric%c2%ac


Please visit the 20:20 Selection website if you have found this article helpful, as we regularly update the articles in our Factsheet section
http://www.2020selection.co.uk/

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Hospital Sales Representative Opportunity in Yorkshire

Springboard your career with a New Job in medical sales – Key Account Manager, Hospital Sales Representative, Yorkshire (North Yorks, York, Wakefield, Leeds, Hull, East Riding)

An opportunity to take your career forward selling to specialist customers in secondary care and also pulling this through with selected primary care customers with a relevant interest; this is a key account management role with responsibility for the sales and market share growth of a specialist product on your territory.

You would be working for an established yet evolving pharmaceutical company who are focused on developing lasting business partnerships with their customers in the NHS.

This position does require that you are ABPI qualified and have a proven track record of delivering against your targets in your career to date. If you have worked this territory and have proven your ability in key hospital accounts then this will be a distinct advantage. Importantly you will be;
- Highly motivated, enthusiastic and driven to succeed
- Have excellent business planning skills
- Be able to develop relationships and networks within your key accounts
- Want to be part of a high performing specialist team
- Be willing to go the extra mile to differentiate yourself, your product and company within the marketplace.

On offer will be an attractive basic salary, car, bonus and other benefits associated with the pharmaceutical industry. 2011 has been an exciting year in this organisation; be part of it in 2012.
The team at 20:20 Selection Ltd is here to discuss your background and suitability for this fantastic opportunity. Call us on 0845 026 2020 or you can also email administrator@2020selection.co.uk with your CV.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

NICE to review local formularies to end post-code prescribing

NICE is to produce a best practice guide to help trusts develop local formularies, as part of a move to ensure that all patients in England have access to clinically and cost-effective drugs.

Local formularies provide a list of selected or preferred drugs available to local prescribers and have an important role in underpinning safe and effective use of medicines.

However, there is currently no standard process or advice for putting together a local formulary which has led to variations across the country.

Medicines Management departments within many PCTs currently operate a controversial traffic light sytem of red lists and green lists, which does not necessarily reflect NICE guidance.

A recent report into innovation in healthcare by The Department of Health has highlighted that not all local formularies are including all of NICE's technology appraisals. This can lead to a postcode lottery where patients miss out on drugs approved by NICE.

In some cases, local formularies are duplicating NICE assessments and challenging appraisal recommendations, acting as a barrier to the uptake of NICE-approved medicines.

The report states that the Department of Health is “committed to ensuring that NHS patients have access to clinically and cost-effective drugs and technologies, and that NICE appraisal guidance is promptly delivered throughout the NHS.

“There should be no local barriers to accessing technologies recommended in NICE appraisals, beyond a clinical decision relating to an individual patient.”

The report recommends that formulary processes should proactively consider the impact of new NICE Technology Appraisals, and all NICE Technology Appraisal recommendations should - where clinically appropriate - be automatically incorporated into local formularies.

This process should take place within 90 days to support compliance with the three month funding direction and the NHS Constitution ensuring that these medicines are available for clinicians to prescribe, should they choose to, in a way that supports safe and clinically appropriate practice.

To help achieve this, NICE will develop a best-practice guide covering the creation and review of local formularies to assist local trusts and clinical commissioning groups.

Dr Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive of NICE said: “NICE will embark on a specific piece of work to look at how local formularies are put together. At the moment there is no standard process for them and there tends to be a lot of variation and inconsistencies across England. This has been flagged up in the recent NHS Innovation report.

“NICE will produce a best-practice guide on how to develop a local formulary. We will be holding a workshop to develop the guide, which will then go out to consultation before being published later this autumn.”

“NICE-approved drugs should not be excluded from local formularies on the grounds of cost. We want all patients to have access to medicines that we consider to be effective,” added Dr Leng.
Elsewhere, the report outlines plans to introduce, within three months, a NICE Compliance Regime for the funding direction attached to NICE technology appraisals to ensure rapid and consistent implementation throughout the NHS.

The Department of Health will also establish a NICE Implementation Collaborative (NIC) to support the implementation of NICE guidance. The NIC will bring together the NHS Commissioning Board, NICE, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, the main industry bodies, the NHS Confederation, the Clinical Commissioning Coalition and the Royal Colleges.

Reference: http://www.nice.org.uk/


20:20 Selection is a specialist recruitement agencies which places candidates into roles within the UK pharmaceutical and healthcare/devices sales industries. The agency has been established since 2002. If you are seeking a role within pharmaceutical sales please visit our website to view our live vacancies http://www.2020selection.co.uk

Monday 6 February 2012

Job Searching and Document Checks

Are you eligible? Having your documents ready for your job search.
Embarking on a search for a new job can be daunting however like all things in life it can go more smoothly with forward planning. This short article is aimed at ensuring you have the relevant factual information at hand. This is important as recruitment agencies like 20:20 Selection Ltd and importantly employers do need to check your legal, employment and academic documentation. Hence if you have all this in order, then when it comes to you being made that perfect job offer the contract/job offer letter is likely to be with you more quickly.

The following checklist should help you with your preparation:
•Passport & Visa (if applicable) – an employer can be fined for employing individuals who are not eligible to work in the UK
•Driving Licence – you will need the paper and photo card parts. For field based positions you will need a valid UK driving licence with no more than 6 penalty points. It is important you make clear declarations about your driving history when asked as employers will check this with the DVLA.
If you have a non UK licence holder and need to convert your licence the following link will give you some guidance:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022562
•A recent payslip. This will validated your current basic salary and your National Insurance number. If you are in receipt of other monthly benefits such as a car allowance this will also be verified on the payslip.
•ABPI certificate – if you have sat and passed the examination you will need to produce your certificate if you are offered employment with a pharmaceutical company. If you have misplaced this, the following link may help
https://extranet.abpi.org.uk/web/abpi/exams.nsf/pages/duplicate_certificate_request
•Highest education certificates (degree, nursing, A levels etc)
•For nursing roles you will need your current NMC PIN number and date of expiry. Plus you will also be asked about the date of your last CRB check however your new employer will need to undertake a fresh check.
•For sales positions you should also put together your ‘Brag File’ or portfolio of successes which should include Sales Data, other performance against KPIs, recent appraisal documents; in fact anything that you can use to sell you and differentiate you in the marketplace.

If you are not facing redundancy, timing your job search is also something to consider. For example,
•We do come across people who may be tied in to car schemes. You are advised to carefully calculate the costs involved to you in walking away from your current agreement, as not all employers offer car opt-out schemes.
•If you are going to jeopardise any bonus/incentive payments pay by leaving before a certain date.
•If you have significant holiday commitments it is important you flag these. A job offer may be subject to you attending a training course on a specific date for a fixed time, however discussing these with your Recruitment Consultant early in the process may mean this can be negotiated. Also remember that holiday entitlement will be prorated depending at what stage of the leave year you commence work.

At 20:20 Selection, we are here to help and guide our candidate along the process. Our specialist team can be contacted on 0845 026 2020 from 08:30 – 18:00 weekdays, or alternatively you may wish to visit our website http://www.2020selection.co.uk/

Thursday 2 February 2012

GP/Hospital Representative - NW England - Fantastic Opportunity, This Will Move Quickly

We are seeking an experienced Medical Sales Representative (GP/Hospital) to cover the Lancashire and Cumbria territory working for a global leader in healthcare.

This is an opportunity for you to take control of your business results; the successful person will be charged with maximising sales across this territory for a portfolio of prescription products selling to General Practitioners, Hospital Customers, other relevant HCP’s and retail pharmacies throughout the territory.

To be considered for this position you will have the following skills/abilities:
- Commercial background and a good understanding of Key Account Management
- Strong team working will be important as you will have to work effectively with your customers and NHS Liaison Managers
- Preferably educated to degree level or equivalent.
- Proven track record of sales success
- Strong commercial awareness coupled with an in depth understanding of the key stakeholders within the NHS
- Flexibility and adaptability to operate in dynamic working environment
- Be accountable for own work load/decision making and actions
- Results orientated (set personal goals)
- Impact, enthusiasm and self motivated coupled with drive and determination to succeed

In return for your skills and contacts this organisation will offer the successful person a comprehensive salary & benefits package (basic salary is commensurate with experience) plus ongoing development throughout their career. Want to know more? Call us now on 0845 026 2020 or submit your CV here. This opportunity does have the potential to move quickly.

20:20 Selection Ltdpromises to treat your application as important and will review your profile against our client’s requirements. However, if you have not heard from us within 7 days please assume that on this occasion you have not been successful. There are many more opportunities like this one advertised on our website daily......all our jobs are live
Visit http://www.2020selection.co.uk/ to learn more......it's free

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Global Top Ten Pharma Company Now Recruiting For A Training Manager (SE England)

This is just one of many live vacancies that are being advertised by 20:20 Selection. Please visit the website to see all these exciting opportunities in the UK Pharmaceutical Industry.

Training Manager, specialist products division within the pharmaceutical business of a global healthcare company.

An opportunity currently exists for a talented training and development manager to be responsible for delivering programmes in line with agreed company training strategy. You will focus on specialist therapy areas such as renal and neurology (Parkinson Disease). Additionally you would also be the point of contact point and coordinator, for the UK implementation of the E-Learning strategy.

This is a Head Office based role (Berkshire) requiring you to work cross functionally with marketing, medical and sales management in order to offer the highest quality training solutions, your responsibilities will include:- Coordinating and running induction/initial training- Providing ongoing support across the franchise for new campaigns, conference etc.- Working with brand teams to identify desired training outcomes that will support brand plan execution- Supporting growth plans within division and working with other Training Managers to develop and deliver training plans- Annual planning, ensuring adherence to budget and deadlines. To be considered for this exciting position you are likely to:- Have healthcare related sales experience having demonstrated achievements in sales & your career to date- Have some prior training experience with a training qualification being an advantage- Show potential to be innovative and creative in approach to both the design and delivery of training programmes- Demonstrate good coaching and counselling skills- Possess well-developed interpersonal skills with the adaptability to work cross-functionally within the company- Have excellent planning skills with the drive to see projects through to completion- Be able to work well under pressure & have a high level of flexibility.It is likely that you are educated to degree level and are ideally ABPI qualified.

On offer to the successful person will be a highly competitive basic salary and benefits package.

This is a superb opportunity to join a forward thinking team in a company who truly believe in investing in people.

Please don't delay in applying. Email your CV to administrator@2020selection.co.uk and/or call on of our recruitment consultants on 0845 026 2020.