Big Pharma 1, angry doc 1
I wonder why but Big Pharma seems to be out in full force this week. Is performance review at the end of the month? what I want to say: Isn't COPY-CAT the one where your company omitted important information, or is that ME-TOO?
Drug-pusher: Good morning, angry doc. Here's some breakfast for you compliments of STD.
what I want to say: Yikes! I'm really hungry and that looks really delicious, but...
what I say: No thanks, I buy my own breakfast.
Drug-pusher: OK... have some free pens and notepads then.
what I want to say: Ooh! Colourful!
what I say: No thanks, I buy my own pens and notepads too. How can I help you today?
Drug-pusher: Oh, I am here to remind you of our product. As you can see from this colourful poster, it's been shown to be better than our closest competitor in the COPY-CAT and ME-TOO studies.
what I say: OK. Do you have copies of the trial papers for me then?
Drug-pusher: Er... sorry, I don't them with me right now...
what I say: ...
Drug-pusher: Er, I can send you the papers another day.
what I say: Thank you.
Drug-pusher: Thanks for your time. Remember our product!
what I want to say: Only if you remember what your job should be about!
Labels: pharma
posted by angry doc at
5:02 pm
8 Comments:
What do U think their job shld be abt?
drugged
By
Anonymous, At
July 12, 2006 6:44 pm
I believe that if they are going to be providing product information, they should at least have the information ready.
I think the fact that a drug rep can come to a clinic with freebies but not literature speaks volumes about the relationship between doctors and drug reps.
By
angry doc, At
July 12, 2006 6:52 pm
I don't think selling medicines makes you a bad person.
But I think selling medicines by giving misleading information about the medicines or while omitting important information about them is bad practice.
I think trying to influence a doctor's prescribing pattern for reasons other than clinical ones is bad practice. Likewise I think changing one's prescribing pattern based on reasons other than clinical ones is bad practice.
By
angry doc, At
July 12, 2006 10:15 pm
Hooray for you! I have always wondered which of the meds my husband takes depends on who brings the most goodies to our doctors office.
It has ALWAYS irked me to no end to be waiting way past my appointment time to see the doc, reminding myself someone with an emergent situation probably walked in right before me, only to see a sales person walk in, speak to the receptionist, then walk right on back. Grrrr.
ESPECIALLY when I had to get off work for the appointment and have to return to work afterwards. As if MY time is not valuable.
By
Surgeon In My Dreams, At
July 12, 2006 11:17 pm
Drug reps are hired to sell drugs to doctors. To make doctors buy them.
And every customer has his different reasons for buying anything.
It's all a matter of finding out what will motivate the customer to buy.
I have observed that most drug reps usually talk about these food and pens to doctors in the hospitals. That is because I think the majority of doctors buy into Food (eg breakfast) and Stationary (eg pens) as the incentive to make an order rather than product information.
You are generally better off serving the majority right?
It's not a nice thing to know, but if you ask the pharmas and the drug reps that's probably what they will tell you.
Either that or this drug rep was hopeless by doing all the things doctors do not want and not doing the things they want.
I doubt it's the latter lah
By
Dr Oz bloke, At
July 13, 2006 11:40 am
Maybe drug companies are so commercialize that they forgot the drugs are to save lives/improve the quality of patients' lives. Drug rep have to earn a living.
By
Anonymous, At
July 14, 2006 12:18 pm
Exactly. Blame the main person.
Dun shoot the messenger!
By
Dr Oz bloke, At
July 14, 2006 4:22 pm
Its not easy to be a medical rep. He/She needs to be properly trained to do his/her job. One needs to do 'homework' before one sees doctors or should try to gather as much info if its one's first visit.
A rep that is not properly trained and thinks that he/she can 'con' his/her way will only irritate those that he/she visits and tarnish the name of the pharmaceutical industry.
By
Anonymous, At
July 18, 2006 11:07 am
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