…As SPSMN holds national conference
Experts have urged pharmaceutical sales representatives to prioritise patients’ safety, uphold ethical marketing practices and improve their professional competence to strengthen public confidence in medicines and Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry.
The experts made the call at ithe 2026 National Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing Conference of the Society for Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing of Nigeria (SPSMN) held on Wednesday, 21 October, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry building, Ikeja, Lagos.
The conference, themed “From Sales Rep to Trusted Transformation Leader: Raising Professional Standards and Capacity in Pharma,” brought together pharmaceutical sales and marketing professionals to examine their changing responsibilities in an industry facing growing concerns over counterfeit and substandard medicines, rising operational costs and declining public trust.
Delivering the keynote address, a former National Chairman of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP), Pharm. Sola Solarin, said pharmaceutical sales representatives must move beyond conventional product promotion and become trusted partners in healthcare delivery.
Pharm. Solarin said the traditional approach of memorising product details, distributing samples and pursuing sales targets is no longer sufficient in an environment where doctors, pharmacists and patients had greater access to medical information.
He stressed that sales representatives must demonstrate scientific knowledge, professional integrity and a clear understanding of the medicines they promote. “You cannot outtalk an informed customer. You can only outvalue them”, he said.
The former NAIP chairman urged representatives to become clinical educators who provide healthcare professionals with accurate and relevant information about medicines, their efficacy, side effects and appropriate use.
Pharm. Solarin also called on the SPSMN to develop a continuous professional certification programme to improve the competence of its members, noting that pharmaceutical sales representatives needed to understand disease conditions and treatment guidelines rather than focus exclusively on the products they marketed.
He further urged pharmaceutical companies to evaluate sales representatives beyond sales volume by considering their contributions to healthcare workers’ training, pharmacovigilance reporting and patient education.
According to him, pharmaceutical sales representatives could contribute to improving treatment adherence, preventing medicine stock-outs and expanding access to healthcare by helping address problems across the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Solarin also condemned unethical marketing practices, including inducements for prescriptions and the promotion of medicines for conditions for which the product are not indicated. He called on pharmaceutical companies to establish realistic sales targets that would not compel representatives to compromise professional standards. “If your target forces your team to lie, your target is the problem,” he said.
He encouraged pharmaceutical companies to explore opportunities in export markets, arguing that expanding beyond Nigeria could help businesses grow and reduce some of the risks associated with domestic market operations.
The guest of honour, Pharm. Ope Oyinola, managing director and chief executive officer of Charterhouse Pharmaceutical Limited, described sales and marketing professionals as essential to the survival and growth of pharmaceutical businesses.
Prince Oyinola said sales reps’ responsibilities extended beyond revenue generation to advancing public health, strengthening the economy and saving lives. He urged industry stakeholders to invest more in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, embrace digital transformation and strengthen collaboration across the pharmaceutical value chain.
According to him, artificial intelligence and other digital technologies should be deployed to improve efficiency, medicine traceability, inventory management and quality verification. He, however, emphasised that technology should support, rather than replacing human decision-making.
Prince Oyinola called on pharmaceutical sales and marketing professionals to put patients first in their business decisions, stressing that the quality, safety and effectiveness of medicines must remain central to the industry’s activities.
Speaking on the growing problem of fake medicines, SPSMN President, Pharm. Tunde Oyeniran, said trust depended largely on the accuracy of the claims pharmaceutical representatives made about the products they promoted.
He warned that exaggerated promises and misinformation could undermine confidence in both individual products and the wider pharmaceutical industry. “For us, it’s about knowing your product, knowing your market, and saying exactly what you can do, not one more word”, Oyeniran said.
He called for increased government investment in regulatory agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, to strengthen efforts against counterfeit medicines.
Pharm. Oyeniran said the increasing frequency of drug counterfeiting, the growing number of people involved and the spread of the illegal trade across more locations required stronger regulatory capacity, better technology and additional personnel.
He also highlighted the role of professional associations in bridging training gaps in the pharmaceutical industry through mentorship, regular professional engagements and the enforcement of ethical standards.
According to him, the SPSMN organises activities to help members discuss industry challenges and develop practical solutions, while providing training for newly recruited pharmaceutical sales representatives.
He explained that the society is working to improve members’ competence and integrity through its code of conduct, adding that professionals must take responsibility for their continuous development. Pharm. Oyeniran urged sales representatives to embrace professional training, adopt ethical practices and ensure that patient safety remained their priority.
He also encouraged industry professionals to use artificial intelligence to improve medicine traceability, inventory management and safety.
