Move into technical healthcare

Medical and healthcare demands across Vietnam have been rising across the years yet domestic policies are discouraging growth of foreign pharmaceutical companies.

As a result, experienced technical healthcare professionals are in high demand to assist in building relationships with key stakeholders and brand development in the country.

Here’s what you need to know for the aspiring technical healthcare professional:

Key skills you will need

As a technical healthcare professional, it is important to have specialised knowledge in pharmaceuticals, particularly if you manage prescription products. This knowledge would preferably be specific to the niche area you would like to specialise in. In particular, departments in the oncology and cardiology or vascular specialisations tend to recruit professionals with extensive knowledge and experience to remain competitive.

In a move to attain international standards, the industry has implemented more stringent compliance frameworks to their operations. Hence, a strong understanding of the local and international compliance standards is another key skill to acquire. Strong communication skills in verbal and written in English are also crucial to establishing relationships with key opinion leaders in the industry.

Honing new skills

A Masters in a related healthcare specialisation is a critical qualification to be a successful technical healthcare professional. A scientific background enables candidates to thoroughly understand the products they manage and equips them with the expertise to communicate effectively with business professionals. Hence, ensure that you have related scientific knowledge of the products you will be managing. Consider taking enrichment courses or pursuing studies in a reputable qualification that would be recognised by the industry.

In addition to medical knowledge, technical healthcare professionals with strong qualifications or experience in marketing are highly valued for their ability to promote pharmaceutical products to the domestic market. Therefore, it will be advantageous to gain plenty of experience in the marketing field before considering a position as a technical healthcare professional. Also, pursue international stints in other pharmaceutical companies so that you may learn their best practices and implement similar strategies to the initiatives you spearhead in Vietnam.

A promising future

According to Business Monitor International, Vietnam’s healthcare expenditure was estimated to be at 16.1 billion USD in 2017. This represented 7.5 percent of its GDP. It is expected that the GDP will grow at 12.5 percent a year to 22.7 billion USD by 2021.

Rise in incomes and an increase in purchasing power for middle incomes families has led to an increase in demand for excellent healthcare services.

In addition, the elderly population in Vietnam who are over the age of 60 is set to rise over the next 5-10 years, spurring greater healthcare spending.