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
I hope you enjoy this story. It was edited by LSEiland, my favorite editor.
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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.
"Leah, the doctor is ready to see you," his receptionist said.
I walked into his spacious office. I heard that his wife had left him several years ago and that he devotes himself to his work. He is quite handsome, very fit, his hair styled, and face tanned and rugged.
I shook his hand as I entered the room. I was dressed in a knit dress, clinging to my figure, professional beige nylons, accessorized with a pair of maroon patent leather heels to accentuate my presence. "Doctor, I have a new product that I think you'll find very useful in building your practice, as you never had expected before." His interest was obvious as I pulled the brochures from my briefcase.
I nervously initiated my first presentation, "Dr. Frederick, the product is
Impassion
. It is the next generation of products for the enhancement of the sexual experience. As opposed to Viagra and similar drugs that have a sole purpose of maintaining an erection, this product is effective for both males and females. It works by counteracting a chemical in the brain, removing any inhibition to suggesting and acting out sexual fantasy. The onset is approximately 15 minutes after taking the tablet and lasts between 2-3 hours."
I pulled out the brochure with the results of the trials, pointing to the important data with my matching maroon nail polish as I highlighted the data. "In the pivotal trials, the frequency of sexual intercourse increased 125%, fellatio increased 45%, and cunnilingus increased 65%. These were the primary endpoints of the trial, but quality of life surveys showed a significant increase in sexual satisfaction in both males and females. Wouldn't you agree these are impressive numbers?" I maintained my professional tone and appearance, despite the nature of the discussion.
" Leah, has the FDA approved this product?" The doctor asked me, clearly skeptical that they would permit such a product to be released at all.
"Certainly, doctor, and we are only going to authorize a limited number of physicians to prescribe this product. It will not be available to every physician."
Dr. Fredrick followed, "If this is as good as the data you showed me, it certainly could make my practice revenues increase tremendously, especially if you allow me to be an exclusive physician in the area."
"Absolutely, you have always been receptive to my presentations in the past and prescribed my products. I wanted to make sure you had the opportunity to prescribe this product. I will give you the website address. You have to do a little continuing medical education, complete a test, and then you'll be authorized to prescribe the product. We are limiting the number of samples, but will allow the physicians we authorize, to have three tablets." I could see he was not wearing a wedding ring, nor were there any family pictures on his desk.
I added, "Once I get a notification that you are authorized, tablets will be sent to you by FedEx. I will plan a follow-up visit to see if you have any questions."
"Thanks Leah, I'm so pleased you thought of me for this product. I'm sure it will be a success."