Sharp fall in candidates taking ABPI exam
pharmafile | January 15, 2008 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â Â
Latest results for the mandatory ABPI medical representative exam showed a 75% pass rate, but the numbers sitting the test have almost halved in the last two years.
The recent 2007 score reflects only a total entry of around 1,100, compared to 2005 when approximately 2,000 candidates sat the exam.
The exam was established in 1969 to improve the overall quality of medical representation and ensure students have adequate knowledge of the industry and its Code of Practice along with the human body, pathology and pharmacology. For medical representatives, the test must be passed within the first two years of employment.
Ian Irving, director of examinations at the ABPI, said: "For 30 years, the ABPI exam has ensured that UK medical representatives demonstrate their essential knowledge of medicines and their effect upon the human body, giving healthcare professionals confidence that industry representatives are well-trained by their companies."
The number taking the test has reduced by around 50% each year since 2005. Since this date only 4,700 students have sat the exam. The total medical representatives currently working in the UK is 8,000.
But despite the dwindling numbers, which stand as an indication of the mass upheaval and job cuts across the industry recently, results have remained constant with 75% achieving a first-time pass and 99% passing on second sitting.






