Elevate Your Career with the Certified Specialty Pharmaceutical Professional (CSPP®) Program

  • Develop advanced insights and skills

  • Stand out in specialty pharmaceutical sales

  • Comprehend and convey complex medical data

  • Master professional ethics and industry codes of conduct

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All ACMA programs are accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training / American National Standards Institute (IACET/ANSI)

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Why Expand Your Pharmaceutical Sales Career?

Exciting Opportunities with Deep Satisfaction

Specialty Pharma is a rapidly growing segment of the pharmaceutical industry, dealing with high-complexity and high-cost medicines that treat complex, chronic, or rare conditions.

  • Specialty pharmaceutical sales require knowledgeable representatives with an advanced understanding of complex products and their impact on patient health.

  • Building your specialty sales skills will open up an array of advanced career opportunities.

  • Improving your specialty sales skills leads to advanced career opportunities and high-paying roles. On average, reps earn six-figure salaries with generous bonuses, outpacing many other sales jobs.

The path to becoming a top-tier Certified Specialty Pharmaceutical Professional starts with enrolling in CSPP.

Become a Valued Partner to HCPs

Your work will make a positive impact on patient lives

  • Your work will directly contribute to improving patient health outcomes by communicating complex product information about new and existing treatments to specialists.

  • The CSPP program equips you with the knowledge and skills to effectively converse with specialists, making you an invaluable resource in the field.

Take the first steps toward achieving the gold standard in the pharmaceutical industry.

Reasons to Certify

Dedication

CSPP graduates demonstrate their commitment to excel as a specialty sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry.

Credibility

Showcase your reliability and ethical professionalism by completing the industry standard of excellence for specialty pharmaceutical sales reps.

Authority

Your colleagues, your manager, and the specialists you work with will recognize your preparedness and advanced knowledge.

Distinction

Build your personal brand as an industry expert. Stand out from your peers with the CSPP credential.

What will I learn in the CSPP® program?

Module 1 provides an essential foundation for pharmaceutical sales reps. Understanding the industry's growth drivers and recent trends is crucial for sales reps to navigate and excel in a rapidly evolving landscape, allowing them to make informed decisions and adapt their sales strategies to meet the industry's changing needs.
The terms pharmaceuticals and drugs are often used as catch-all phrases for many different types of products. Module 2 provides an overview of the various product types that pharma professionals may encounter.
Module 3 provides pharmaceutical sales reps with a comprehensive understanding of the FDA's role and its impact on the products they can promote. Mastery of this information is essential for reps to navigate within the framework of FDA regulations.
Module 4 is integral for pharmaceutical sales reps to grasp as it provides a comprehensive understanding of how prescription drugs move from the manufacturer to the patient.
Module 5 discusses the value pharma sales professionals bring to the healthcare industry by diving into the unique nature of pharmaceutical sales, distinguishing it from other sales domains.
Module 6 equips pharmaceutical sales reps with the essential skills to navigate and understand the critical information within a package insert. Proficiency in reading PIs is crucial for sales reps to communicate product details accurately.
Module 7 provides a foundation on how to discuss clinical studies effectively, which are essential tools for engaging healthcare professionals. It also underscores the importance of using only company-approved materials in sales calls to ensure compliance and provide accurate information.
Module 8 outlines the general rules governing product promotion and the materials that can be used in sales calls. Understanding these guidelines and the concept of omni-channel marketing is essential to ensure that sales reps effectively communicate the value of pharmaceutical products within the regulatory framework.
Module 9 provides a comprehensive understanding of how prescriptions are paid for in the U.S., covering topics like common payers, the role of PBMs, and cost-saving methods.
Module 10 provides pharmaceutical sales reps with a comprehensive understanding of the various HCPs they may interact with in medical offices and pharmacies. This knowledge is crucial to effectively tailor sales strategies and communication to the roles and expectations of these customers.
Understanding the challenges of gaining access to HCPs and mastering different call types enables reps to engage effectively, build relationships, and deliver product information appropriately in diverse scenarios, including virtually or in person.
Module 12 dives into the roles of internal counterparts within a company that works with or impacts healthcare professionals other than pharma sales reps in order to coordinate.
Module 13 provides a structured understanding of the key steps in the sales process, both in-person and in virtual settings from pre-call planning to post-call analysis.
Pharmacology is the study of the interactions between molecules and living organisms. This entails characterization of their pharmacological properties (pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics). This module will enable you to understand the different characteristics of a drug and how they are important for therapeutic success.
Module 15 explores the significance of biological products in the specialty pharmaceutical space. Specialty sales reps will equip themselves with knowledge on their structure, manufacturing processes, and regulatory pathways.
Module 16 provides an in-depth review of the scientific concepts of reference products, biosimilars, and interchangeable biosimilars, which serves as the foundation for the regulatory concepts of these products.
In this module, specialty sales representatives will dive into market access for biosimilars and review biosimilar reimbursement methodologies.
Have you ever wondered whether physicians were speaking the same language as you when you engaged in a conversation with them about diagnostics, diseases, and therapeutic areas? This module will help you understand how those difficult words are structured and will give you some vocabulary and tools to decipher them.

What will I get out of the CSPP® program?

The CSPP program was built with a strong commitment to outcomes-based learning. This means that the program will give you deep, actionable knowledge rather than just running through a laundry list of facts and figures. You will be able to APPLY what you learn in your future work, not just pass a generic exam.

Program leaders require four top-level learning outcomes for CSPP graduates. These learning outcomes translate directly into more effective business practices for every CSPP graduate.

Payment Options

One-Time Payment

Single transaction for full access to the CSPP program
Most popular
$1599.99USD / one time payment
  • Accredited program
  • Online & self paced
  • 18 Learning modules
  • 24/7 Human live chat
  • Downlodable resources
  • 6 Months access
More payment info

Installment Payment

Manageable payments over three months
$559.65USD / for 3 months
  • Accredited program
  • Online & self paced
  • 18 Learning modules
  • 24/7 Human live chat
  • Downlodable resources
  • 6 Months access
More payment info

CSPP® Steps to Success

1

Bring your skills, work ethic, and commitment.

2

Enroll in the CSPP program and prepare for a successful career in specialty sales.

3

Complete the CSPP program and become certified.

4

Promote your achievement and step into your specialty pharma sales future.

What does a pharmaceutical sales rep career look like for you?

As a specialty sales representative, you can quickly work your way up to a six-figure salary by applying your natural skills to communicate with specialists. Specialty sales representatives get great experience visiting doctors, planning events, and collaborating with other teams to ensure the most effective communication.

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You'll have the know-how and knowledge of what works best in the field.
You'll have the fundamentals of working with physicians, patient advocates and other stakeholders.
From the field you'll see the challenges facing the whole healthcare system and what you can do to help.
The field representative role will give you deep insight into the challenges that patients face.
You will have the practical experience necessary to build that ladder.

Frequently
asked questions

CSPP is a Certification accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education / American National Standards Institute (IACET/ANSI).

More program info
The CSPP content was developed with input from a variety of subject matter experts in the life sciences industry including successful sales representative trainers, healthcare professionals, and specialty pharma professionals.
Every 2 years you are required to maintain your certification. You can do this by either (1) completing 10 hours of continuing education credits approved by the ACMA or (2) by taking the certification exam.
Yes. The ACMA offers a flexible payment plan where you can pay in 3 easy installments of $559.65.
The CSPP program takes on average about 2 weeks (15 hours course time) to complete. It’s self-paced, so everyone will be different.

You are eligible for certification if you…

Have completed at least a bachelor’s degree.

OR

Have 2 years of relevant professional sales experience

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Jumpstart Your Specialty Pharmaceutical Sales Career!

Enroll in the industry standard specialty sales rep training program that prepares you for a high-performance career.