taken on board quickly and efficiently and are of
benefit to all parties.
A knowledge and skills profile offers the best
headlines for an induction template. It is important
that the extension of knowledge and skills goes
beyond the simple ‘doing of the job’. There are
five main characteristics to cover.
General knowledge at the corporate level, for
example:
pharmaceutical business (local and global);
organization of company (national and interna-
tional);
product portfolio.
Job-specificrolesandresponsibilities,forexample:
sales techniques;
clinical research practices;
regulatory requirements.
Therapeutic and product knowledge, for example:
indication and related disorders;
physiology and pharmacology;
formulations and competitors.
Other technical requirements, for example:
marketing plans;
medical responsibilities;
statistics, pharmacokinetics.
Transferable skills, for example:
presentation skills;
time management;
teambuilding, leadership.
Such an induction programmed cannot be
immediate unless the company organizes a full
2–4-week induction programme prior to starting
the job. It is essential that the many topics to be
covered are prioritized by setting key objectives.
Other aspects to consider are resources, including
budget and specialized needs. Self-development
may well be essential, when resources are limited,
but care must be taken to be efficient with training
opportunities and not cause conflict with active
roles and responsibilities. Development of compe-
tency comes with time and experience.
There is a subtle difference between competence
and competency worthy of clarification. Compe-
tence is a standard obtained with a particular skill,
whereas competency reflects a manner of behaving
when performing that skill. As such, competences
refer to ranges of skills, whereas competencies
refer to the behaviours adopted in competent per-
formance. As the individual measures his or her
competences and competencies, they and their
trainer must be aware of the difference.Appraisal and personal development
Following induction, the individual and sponsor
company have a joint responsibility for ensuring
personal development. The benefits to both parties
may be obvious, yet progress must be monitored
continually to guarantee that both parties are satis-
fied with agreed goals and targets. In the events of
dissatisfaction, continual review allows prompt
action and reassessment of goals. Measurement
of training needs is usually performed at appraisal,
and the individual should expect appraisals to be
stretching and challenging, if performed properly.
Appraisals should decide a career plan based on
knowledge, skills and performance to date, that is
recorded competencies.
The sponsor company will consider training an
investment. It does not wish to train the individual
to take a career step out of the company but must
take the risk that this may occur. Appraisal will
measure the adequacy of training for the role or for
the future role of the appraisee. A sponsor company
will want to be sure that the training has a clear link
with corporate business needs, that training is the2.2 SOME BACKGROUND TO PHARMACEUTICAL PHYSICIAN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 17