The life of a drug rep is a difficult one. I hope this story brings respect to what they do under trying circumstances. Of course, it is fictional
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They call me a drug rep. I hated being called that name. It is so degrading. I am a victim of scorn and ridicule; a handmaiden of the medical profession. I could go on and on.
I had been a Physician Sales Specialist for about 10 years. It was my first job, after majoring in biology and completing a Phar.D. We
never
refer to ourselves as doctor; we don't want to offend our physicians. The pharmaceutical business has changed tremendously. When I first took employment, a nice set of legs, a tight-fitting business suit, and a little coquettishness kept those brand-name drug sales perky. Most of the physicians I called upon were male and always receptive to a young female reciting the company line about a new product. If their eyes glazed over, I scratched the inside of my knee to awaken them with the enticing whoosh, whoosh of my lacquered acrylic nails on the nylon hosiery. Pointing out clinical data with an index finger adorned with bright red nail polish, crossing my legs and dangling my high-heeled pump from my stocking clad toe, or slightly arising from my seat to readjust my skirt maintained the attention of the most recalcitrant sales target. The commissions were excellent. The company gave me a car and clothing allowance, so life was good.
Then, the game changed. Congress is now preoccupied with giving out ink pens with advertisements, much less taking a physician to dinner. Most physicians are now employed by large organizations and the last thing these organizations want is to have a salesperson encouraging their physicians to write brand-name drugs. New physicians are predominately female, unresponsive to my time-tested tricks. I still had a few private male physicians that I called on regularly, but their ranks were dwindling with Obama care straight ahead. I was only 35, and not really management material, so my future was insecure at best.
One day, it appeared that this might all change. I received a notice from the company inviting me to a national meeting for select professional representatives and they were going to introduce a new product. They hinted it would be a multi-billion dollar winner. The meeting was to take place in Las Vegas in December at a hotel on the strip, no less. I was unattached and ready to go and have a good time.
The meeting began on a Monday, and about 200 of us gathered. It appeared that only sales representatives under 40 were invited. There were some very attractive men among us, ideal for a single 30-something like me. Male counterparts were a real change, as the pharmaceutical companies knew previously that most physicians were men, and would recruit young women exclusively for their sales representatives. Seeing all those young attractive men meant something new was definitely in the works.
In front of us, after some dull introductions, was Julia Reed, Director of Marketing. She was wearing a fitted black pants suit that was flattering to her figure, I must say.
"We have selected the group of you to represent our new product, and will be breaking new ground in the marketing of our medication to the physician population. Too long have our sales representatives been treated as second class citizens in the medical profession. This product will create a demand unforeseen by any other in the company's history."
She then continued as she pointed to the screen with a red laser pointer, "This is to introduce you to
Impassion
.
" The word filled the entire screen, with fanfare in the background from the speakers.
Julia continued, "Our scientists have discovered a compound that counteracts any reluctance to reveal your deepest sexual fantasies to your partner. Impassion works directly in the brain sex nucleus, protecting it from circulating inhibitors, resulting in a more honest, enticing, open interaction where the deepest, most explicit sexual fantasies are revealed without self-consciousness or embarrassment."
She was followed by one of the scientists who develop the product, and went through a long slide show regarding the brain, the location of the sex nucleus in the brain, and described the half-life and other pharmacokinetics of the drug. There was a long presentation regarding the pivotal clinical trial, the approval by the advisory committee and the FDA. I would need to memorize this data and discuss it with the physicians.
Julia then came back on the stage. All of us were excited, and she had trouble quieting the audience.
Once she had our attention, she said, "This is the next generation of sexual enhancement medications, the likes of which the world has never seen. This drug is ideal for both women and men, as shown in our clinical trials. To market this drug, we want to maintain an aura of exclusivity and therefore, we will depend upon you, our representatives, to select those physicians who you believe will best represent our product to the public. We and the FDA agreed that only a select group of physicians should be allowed to prescribe this agent, so that any side effects will be rapidly reported and analyzed in post-marketing surveys."
"Now, you will be given a quota of physicians to allow prescribing privileges. For each physician, you will need to explain how the product works, restrictions, and warnings. They will need to take a brief course in appropriate patient selection and reporting requirements. You may want to use this product to reward your physicians who have treated you respectfully, and withhold it from those physician or administrators who have excluded you from your professional marketing activities in the past. Most Physician Sales Specialists will have only 4 or 5 physicians prescribing medication in their region."
Julia spoke emphatically, "Lastly, there will be very few samples to be given, but we do know you need a few for each of your trainees to fully experience this drug before prescribing."
I knew exactly who I would select as my first physician. Dr. Frederick, about 45 years old, has always welcomed me to his office whenever I had a product to detail. His assistants were always kind and he would always give me a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day. As soon as I returned home, I made an appointment to see him.