A medical representative, also called a medical or pharmaceutical rep, presents a laboratory’s products to doctors, pharmacists and sometimes hospitals in their area. They do not sell to patients: they inform health professionals so that they know, prescribe or recommend the products. In Algeria the job is popular with biology and pharmacy graduates, and it is one of the only ones that hire in dozens of wilayas at once. This guide starts from the offers published on Chghol to describe the job, the profile and the career.
The posts behind the title
| Family | What the post does | Chghol offers (04/11/2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical or medical rep | Visits to doctors and pharmacies in an area, product presentation, follow-up of pharmacy stock | 22 |
| Medical representative, medical information officer | Scientific information to doctors, often by specialty (cardiology, nervous system, rheumatology) | 18 |
| Infant milk and nutrition | Visits to paediatricians, maternity units and pharmacies | 9 |
| Medical sales representative | Medical information plus taking orders from pharmacies and wholesalers | 4 |
| Management and specialty | Regional or national team lead (« first line manager »), oncology partner | 3 |
| Specifier (« prescripteur ») | The same prescription logic, but with architects and design offices (paint, cables) | 2 |
See all the medical representative offers. The job is close to sales: targets, rounds, customer relations. Our guide to sales representative jobs details variable pay and tools.
A job that hires all over Algeria
Across the whole site, Algiers holds 796 of the 1,346 offers, close to six in ten. For medical representatives it is the opposite: only 9 of the 58 offers are in Algiers. The reason is simple: a laboratory divides the country into areas, and each area needs a rep who lives there. Several offers say so in their title: « Sétif region », « Constantine-Mila », « East », « Chlef », « Touggourt ».
| Wilaya | Offers (04/11/2026) |
|---|---|
| Algiers | 9 |
| Constantine | 7 |
| Tizi Ouzou | 6 |
| Annaba, Oran | 5 each |
| Chlef, Tlemcen, Batna | 4 each |
| Béjaïa | 3 |
| Sétif, Blida | 2 each |
| El Oued, Tébessa, Tiaret, Jijel, M’Sila, Mascara, Ouargla | 1 each |
If you live in a mid-sized town, this is a real opportunity: you are the local candidate the laboratory is looking for. Put your wilaya and the neighbouring wilayas you can cover at the top of your CV.
Who is hiring
- Pharmaceutical laboratories and distributors: PharmAlliance and Merinal (12 offers each), Magpharm (8), El Kendi, part of MS Pharma (4), Tabuk Pharmaceuticals (3), Hikma, AstraZeneca, Abdi Ibrahim Remede Pharma, SCI Pharma, Dar AlDawa, Med Strat, LFR Promotion.
- Infant nutrition: Magpharm (8 infant-milk rep posts), Dynamic Agro, Danone.
- Hygiene and cosmetics: Carpe Diem (5 reps), Can Hygiène (2), Belleza Corporation.
- Outside health: Mauvilac (paint) and Elsewedy Cables are looking for « specifiers », the same job applied to construction.
Our guide to the pharmaceutical industry presents the sector’s other jobs: production, quality control, regulatory affairs.
A day as a medical representative
- 1
Plan the round
Choose the day’s doctors and pharmacies from the visit plan, reread the product sheets and the latest exchanges.
- 2
Visit
Six to ten visits a day is a common order of magnitude: a few minutes with each doctor, often between two consultations, to present a product and answer questions.
- 3
Call at pharmacies
Check that products are available, inform the pharmacist, report shortages.
- 4
Report
Enter the visits in the laboratory’s tool (often a CRM on a tablet or phone), note remarks and sample requests.
- 5
Track targets
Number of visits, area coverage, pharmacy sales: the variable part depends on them.
The rules of the job
Information about medicines is regulated. Law no. 18-11 of 2 July 2018 on health and executive decree no. 92-286 of 6 July 1992 on medical and scientific information about pharmaceutical products for human use set what a laboratory may say and to whom. Medicines are registered by the National Agency for Pharmaceutical Products (ANPP). In practice, the rep presents only information validated by the laboratory, does not promise unproven effects and respects the confidentiality of doctors and patients.
The profile asked for
- Diploma: a bachelor’s or master’s in biology, pharmacy, biochemistry, life sciences or nursing; a sales profile is accepted for medical sales posts.
- Driving licence: essential for a round; ask whether a company car and travel expenses are provided.
- Speaking: present a product clearly in a few minutes, in French, and answer a doctor’s objections.
- Organisation: visit planning, regular reports, target tracking.
- Knowing the ground: doctors, pharmacies and wholesalers in your wilaya; local languages help a lot.
Passing the interview
The interview often includes a mock visit: you are given a product sheet and present it to the recruiter as you would to a doctor. Prepare a simple structure (opening, benefit for the patient, evidence, question to the doctor) and practise out loud. Our guide to job interview questions helps with the rest. Before signing, ask for the fixed pay in net terms, how the bonus is calculated, the car and the exact area.
Moving up
The classic path goes from rep to senior rep, then regional team lead (2 « first line manager » offers on 4 November 2026) and sales or marketing director. You can also specialise (oncology, hospital) or move to product marketing, regulatory affairs or rep training. None of the 58 offers showed a salary: the medical representative salaries page helps you place yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Which diploma to become a medical representative?
Most often a bachelor’s or master’s in biology, pharmacy, biochemistry or health sciences. Some medical sales posts accept a business degree.
Do I need to be a pharmacist?
No. Pharmacists are sought after, but most offers ask for a science degree, a driving licence and ease speaking.
Can I be a medical representative outside Algiers?
Yes, it is even the most common case: on 4 November 2026, 49 of the 58 offers published on Chghol were outside Algiers, in 17 other wilayas.
Is a car provided?
It depends on the laboratory. Ask at interview, along with travel and phone expenses.
How is a medical representative paid?
Usually a fixed part and a bonus tied to targets. Ask for the net monthly amount and how the bonus is calculated.
Who hires the most?
On 4 November 2026 on Chghol: PharmAlliance and Merinal (12 offers each), then Magpharm (8), Carpe Diem (5) and El Kendi (4).
- Law no. 18-11 of 2 July 2018 on health — Official Journal
- Executive decree no. 92-286 of 6 July 1992 on medical and scientific information about pharmaceutical products for human medicine — Official Journal
- National Agency for Pharmaceutical Products (ANPP)
- National Employment Agency (ANEM) — Wassit portal
- Medical representative offers published on Chghol (snapshot of 4 November 2026)
Texts consulted at the update date of the article.