The thesis substantiates the theoretical foundations of professional training of medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies in the Federal Republic of Germany, in particular the concepts of: continuing education; lifelong learning; humanistic concept of education and development.
It is revealed that in the near future vocational education will be based on the following leading ideas: creation of a European innovative system of lifelong vocational education and training based on further development of interaction of vocational education establishments of different levels and socioeconomic complex; transnational cooperation and exchange of best practices in human development for further modernization of the economy; creating opportunities for quality lifelong learning in all structures and at all levels of the education and training system, the synergy of formal, non-formal and informal education; development of the educational zone by 2025 in order to use the full potential of education and culture, which are recognized as enhancers of the employment rate, economic growth and social justice. The tendencies of professional training of medical representatives in the European social context are revealed.
The author revealed that the training of medical representatives is regulated by a number of legislative documents, including federal laws, such as: on education; about professional education and professional training; on regulation of personnel certification; on the promotion of lifelong learning; on the protection of distance learning participants; on regulation of personnel certification; and provisions: on pharmaceutical representative offices (educational programs for medical representatives are regulated) and on recognition of the qualification of a medical representative (specialist certification).
The paper summarizes the trends of professional training of medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies in the European social context, in particular: dialectical development of medical education in cooperation with public organizations - professional and educational associations as initiators of professional training in medicine, created and operating on an international basis; growing influence of the Association of Medical Education (ASME) and the Federation of Medical Education (NFME) on the training of medical staff, including medical representatives, for the development and quality of medical education; creation and development of a network of centers, medical education courses, development and implementation of educational programs, methodological support, teaching methods for teachers of medical educational institutions with the support of pharmaceutical companies, etc.
The didactic principles of professional training of medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies in this European country are substantiated (aims – certification of medical representatives in order to improve the quality of their education; forms of professional training of medical representatives - training courses in adult education; counseling, training in colleges and in production; learning, principles – openness, focus on the participant of the educational process and social affiliation).
The state of professional training of medical representatives in pharmaceutical companies of Ukraine is analyzed and the conditions of activity of medical representatives in Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies and foreign representations are revealed and characterized. Among which: instability of legislative regulation of the pharmaceutical market; constant changes in the rules and features of interaction with medical and pharmacy institutions for the promotion of medicines; differences in understanding of the role of medical representative by the subjects of market relations; ambiguity of job responsibilities and marketing strategies of pharmaceutical companies, etc.
It was also revealed that the presence of medical representatives as a separate professional group in Ukrainian society is not legitimized – this profession is not listed in the National Classification of Occupations, and medical training is not regulated at the state level and is carried out directly in pharmaceutical companies without standards, licensed programs, approved the procedure for assessing the results of the qualification examination for the qualification «Certified Medical Representative».
Recommendations for the use of progressive ideas for professional training of medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies in the Federal Republic of Germany at the state, scientific and pedagogical, organizational and methodological, local and industrial levels and at the level of public organizations (professional associations) and personal level are developed and substantiated.
