What is the role of an oncology sales specialist?

The pharmaceutical sales industry is diverse and exciting, with many interesting avenues to explore. One such avenue is the role of oncology sales specialists. These specialists are driven to improve oncology patient outcomes by educating and promoting oncology products to key stakeholder communities.      

The role is rewarding, especially since new technologies are helping to improve remission and restore health to patients diagnosed with cancer.

As cancer rates continue to increase, a need for dedicated and passionate oncology sales specialists is becoming essential to the health industry. Therefore, you’ll find several opportunities to expand or kickstart your pharmaceutical sales career in this field.

So, what is the role of an oncology sales specialist?

Partnering with customers to uncover and address their needs

More than 1 million cancer patients receive chemotherapy or radiation in outpatient US oncology clinics every year. Cancer diagnoses aside, these patients are at risk of developing life-threatening infections that may lead to hospitalization or disruptions in chemotherapy schedules.

This means that oncology sales specialists need to consider a holistic view of the disease and its course, thus partnering and communicating with customers to discover their needs and decipher how these needs can cater to the patient's best interests.   

Representing and promoting the customer's products

Once a therapy has been approved and a partnership is established with a customer, it’s the oncology sales specialist’s job to promote the products to healthcare professionals, clinics, and hospital systems. The oncology sales specialist will receive product training and will be equipped to educate key customers on product features and benefits. 

Engaging with key influencers within the medical sales field

Like most pharmaceutical sales positions, oncology sales specialists must have great communication and interpersonal skills to make an immediate impact.. Additionally, you may be required to attend oncology and medical conferences, workshops, and possibly even charity events. These events may provide opportunity for career growth as you network and increase your understanding of industry knowledge and trends.

Find your next oncology sales job with IQVIA

We're on a mission to proactively improve oncology patient care by investing our time in finding better healthcare solutions. Does this sound like a journey you want to be a part of? If so, we invite you to reach out to the IQVIA team, who will support you through your pharmaceutical specialist job-seeking process.

You can also browse our latest oncology jobs or sign up for job alerts, so you’re the first to know about our exciting opportunities.