CVAS overlay rep-job stability?

[Anonymous]

There are quite a few new CVAS positios that were recently posted. I'm assuming these are overlay positions and I am considering throwing my name in the hat but I'm concerned about job stability(i.e.-downsizing) due to the slow launch of Brilinta. Any thoughts?

 

[Anonymous]

There are quite a few new CVAS positios that were recently posted. I'm assuming these are overlay positions and I am considering throwing my name in the hat but I'm concerned about job stability(i.e.-downsizing) due to the slow launch of Brilinta. Any thoughts?

Think twice. Brillinta is a disaster and heads are going to roll.

 

[Anonymous]

Brilinta is a very hard sell. I have launched several products and never had this much trouble meeting my goals and getting practitioners to buy-in. Here are the top five reasons to NOT consider this position unless you really have become desperate:
1. Even though a superior product to Plavix, Brilinta is so much more expensive that many practitioners just do not care when weighed against just being able to write a generic. In other words, the superiority is not worth the BID dosing and cost.
2. Way, way too many reps in the field and, in their infinite wisdom, corporate is adding more. So, you have 3, 4 and even 5 people calling on the SAME customers. You add it up: it's overkill, no consistency in messaging and confusion, limited access in many territories and unrealistic required targeting. Have fun trying to meet all the metrics and goals let alone see the targets. Imagine an interventional cardiologist seeing you twice a month. Now, imagine having two and maybe three partners that have the same requirement. LMAO - that's expecting this poor doctor to get "messaged" twice a week or more!!!! It is virtually impossible. So, you will have to lie and you wil be driven nuts by the ride alongs and requirements, not to mention never being able to hit your goals unless you're extremely lucky.
3. You will not make any money. Oh, AZ's salary is great and the benes are OK, but the bonus is shit and you will never hit it unless you are one of managements chosen and your goals have been manipulated. So, expect to get written up.
4. You will have the constant feeling that management wants you out and all of your counterparts are backstabbling assholes who have no clue how to work as a team. Other problem is that no hospital wants two or three of you calling on them. Have even more fun with that.
5. Your car is a POS and you will drive like a chicken with your head cut off to meet these ridiculous targeting goals and to work around your four other partners.

(Oh, a good part of your bonus is Crestor and you will be turned into a sample dropper and nothing more. . . not a specialty position by any stretch.)

So, think long and hard about coming here. I wish I did not.

 

[Anonymous]

Brilinta is a very hard sell. I have launched several products and never had this much trouble meeting my goals and getting practitioners to buy-in. Here are the top five reasons to NOT consider this position unless you really have become desperate:
1. Even though a superior product to Plavix, Brilinta is so much more expensive that many practitioners just do not care when weighed against just being able to write a generic. In other words, the superiority is not worth the BID dosing and cost.
2. Way, way too many reps in the field and, in their infinite wisdom, corporate is adding more. So, you have 3, 4 and even 5 people calling on the SAME customers. You add it up: it's overkill, no consistency in messaging and confusion, limited access in many territories and unrealistic required targeting. Have fun trying to meet all the metrics and goals let alone see the targets. Imagine an interventional cardiologist seeing you twice a month. Now, imagine having two and maybe three partners that have the same requirement. LMAO - that's expecting this poor doctor to get "messaged" twice a week or more!!!! It is virtually impossible. So, you will have to lie and you wil be driven nuts by the ride alongs and requirements, not to mention never being able to hit your goals unless you're extremely lucky.
3. You will not make any money. Oh, AZ's salary is great and the benes are OK, but the bonus is shit and you will never hit it unless you are one of managements chosen and your goals have been manipulated. So, expect to get written up.
4. You will have the constant feeling that management wants you out and all of your counterparts are backstabbling assholes who have no clue how to work as a team. Other problem is that no hospital wants two or three of you calling on them. Have even more fun with that.
5. Your car is a POS and you will drive like a chicken with your head cut off to meet these ridiculous targeting goals and to work around your four other partners.

(Oh, a good part of your bonus is Crestor and you will be turned into a sample dropper and nothing more. . . not a specialty position by any stretch.)

So, think long and hard about coming here. I wish I did not.

This paints one of the most "realistic pictures" ever posted on CF of a CVAS rep.

 

[Anonymous]

Excellent post! Right on target and describes the position perfectly!

 

[Anonymous]

Brilinta is a very hard sell. I have launched several products and never had this much trouble meeting my goals and getting practitioners to buy-in. Here are the top five reasons to NOT consider this position unless you really have become desperate:
1. Even though a superior product to Plavix, Brilinta is so much more expensive that many practitioners just do not care when weighed against just being able to write a generic. In other words, the superiority is not worth the BID dosing and cost.
2. Way, way too many reps in the field and, in their infinite wisdom, corporate is adding more. So, you have 3, 4 and even 5 people calling on the SAME customers. You add it up: it's overkill, no consistency in messaging and confusion, limited access in many territories and unrealistic required targeting. Have fun trying to meet all the metrics and goals let alone see the targets. Imagine an interventional cardiologist seeing you twice a month. Now, imagine having two and maybe three partners that have the same requirement. LMAO - that's expecting this poor doctor to get "messaged" twice a week or more!!!! It is virtually impossible. So, you will have to lie and you wil be driven nuts by the ride alongs and requirements, not to mention never being able to hit your goals unless you're extremely lucky.
3. You will not make any money. Oh, AZ's salary is great and the benes are OK, but the bonus is shit and you will never hit it unless you are one of managements chosen and your goals have been manipulated. So, expect to get written up.
4. You will have the constant feeling that management wants you out and all of your counterparts are backstabbling assholes who have no clue how to work as a team. Other problem is that no hospital wants two or three of you calling on them. Have even more fun with that.
5. Your car is a POS and you will drive like a chicken with your head cut off to meet these ridiculous targeting goals and to work around your four other partners.

(Oh, a good part of your bonus is Crestor and you will be turned into a sample dropper and nothing more. . . not a specialty position by any stretch.)

So, think long and hard about coming here. I wish I did not.

Keep in mind most AZ products lose exclusivity sp? much soon than Brillinta and the company has a lot of stock in it for the future of AZ. This is why they hired more reps and co-promote with the medicines company. Brillintas patent is the longest so one would think that anyone selling Brillinta is actually the safest.

 

[Anonymous]

Everyone is safe for at least the next few years. Probably a lot longer than that.

 

[Anonymous]

Brilinta sold a grand total of $10 million for the 3rd qtr. A monumental failure by any standard. AZ will never admit that it is a failure. They are too stupid for that, so they will just keep pouring more and more money into the black hole. The current configuration of the sales force illustrates just how really stupid they are. AZ needs to give all of our major drugs to EVERY rep for the most part, and forget divisions. We would have XR, Crestor, Brilinta, Symbicort, Onglyza, and Bydureon. Every rep would have a combination of 3, but the combinations would be set for one half of the sales force and the other half would also have 3 drugs of a slightly different combo.

Profit is going down every qtr. Old Pascal better do something drastic, and fast. C'mon Frenchie, earn your megabucks!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Brilinta sold a grand total of $10 million for the 3rd qtr. A monumental failure by any standard. AZ will never admit that it is a failure. They are too stupid for that, so they will just keep pouring more and more money into the black hole. The current configuration of the sales force illustrates just how really stupid they are. AZ needs to give all of our major drugs to EVERY rep for the most part, and forget divisions. We would have XR, Crestor, Brilinta, Symbicort, Onglyza, and Bydureon. Every rep would have a combination of 3, but the combinations would be set for one half of the sales force and the other half would also have 3 drugs of a slightly different combo.

Profit is going down every qtr. Old Pascal better do something drastic, and fast. C'mon Frenchie, earn your megabucks!!!

You have to figure that right now Brilinta is still costing the company money. Not saying yet, and you have to give it a go, but at some point there is a law of diminishing returns when you have to cut your losses.

 

[Anonymous]

Its too late. AZ is all in with Brilinta. We are basically banking everything we have on its success. Failure is not an option at this point and AZ will put every resource it can to ensure its success. It is really one of the make or break products for this company.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe not, because it looks like the deal with Amarin went through this afternoon.

 

[Anonymous]

Brilinta sold a grand total of $10 million for the 3rd qtr. A monumental failure by any standard. AZ will never admit that it is a failure. They are too stupid for that, so they will just keep pouring more and more money into the black hole. The current configuration of the sales force illustrates just how really stupid they are. AZ needs to give all of our major drugs to EVERY rep for the most part, and forget divisions. We would have XR, Crestor, Brilinta, Symbicort, Onglyza, and Bydureon. Every rep would have a combination of 3, but the combinations would be set for one half of the sales force and the other half would also have 3 drugs of a slightly different combo.

Profit is going down every qtr. Old Pascal better do something drastic, and fast. C'mon Frenchie, earn your megabucks!!!

Well, considering they are adding to the Brilinta salesforce, I doubt they have a clue. . . but good post and you are spot on.

 

[Anonymous]

Brilinta is a very hard sell. I have launched several products and never had this much trouble meeting my goals and getting practitioners to buy-in. Here are the top five reasons to NOT consider this position unless you really have become desperate:
1. Even though a superior product to Plavix, Brilinta is so much more expensive that many practitioners just do not care when weighed against just being able to write a generic. In other words, the superiority is not worth the BID dosing and cost.
2. Way, way too many reps in the field and, in their infinite wisdom, corporate is adding more. So, you have 3, 4 and even 5 people calling on the SAME customers. You add it up: it's overkill, no consistency in messaging and confusion, limited access in many territories and unrealistic required targeting. Have fun trying to meet all the metrics and goals let alone see the targets. Imagine an interventional cardiologist seeing you twice a month. Now, imagine having two and maybe three partners that have the same requirement. LMAO - that's expecting this poor doctor to get "messaged" twice a week or more!!!! It is virtually impossible. So, you will have to lie and you wil be driven nuts by the ride alongs and requirements, not to mention never being able to hit your goals unless you're extremely lucky.
3. You will not make any money. Oh, AZ's salary is great and the benes are OK, but the bonus is shit and you will never hit it unless you are one of managements chosen and your goals have been manipulated. So, expect to get written up.
4. You will have the constant feeling that management wants you out and all of your counterparts are backstabbling assholes who have no clue how to work as a team. Other problem is that no hospital wants two or three of you calling on them. Have even more fun with that.
5. Your car is a POS and you will drive like a chicken with your head cut off to meet these ridiculous targeting goals and to work around your four other partners.

(Oh, a good part of your bonus is Crestor and you will be turned into a sample dropper and nothing more. . . not a specialty position by any stretch.)

So, think long and hard about coming here. I wish I did not.

This post is dead on ! During the latest West region change ups..... I was " given the honor " of being switched to an over-lay position. I feel totally fu**ed... when a lay off happens and I am sure it will. I will be screwed because my manager is a selfish jerk. He does not realize how bad he has screwed me.


I would never sign up for an over-lay unless you are prepared to get screwed come lay-off time.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe not, because it looks like the deal with Amarin went through this afternoon.

Nice try, but NOT.

Not at $12, NOT @ $20. NOT EVEN @ $30.

Get your resume ready, they maybe hiring in February!

 

[Anonymous]

Brilinta is a very hard sell. I have launched several products and never had this much trouble meeting my goals and getting practitioners to buy-in. Here are the top five reasons to NOT consider this position unless you really have become desperate:
1. Even though a superior product to Plavix, Brilinta is so much more expensive that many practitioners just do not care when weighed against just being able to write a generic. In other words, the superiority is not worth the BID dosing and cost.
2. Way, way too many reps in the field and, in their infinite wisdom, corporate is adding more. So, you have 3, 4 and even 5 people calling on the SAME customers. You add it up: it's overkill, no consistency in messaging and confusion, limited access in many territories and unrealistic required targeting. Have fun trying to meet all the metrics and goals let alone see the targets. Imagine an interventional cardiologist seeing you twice a month. Now, imagine having two and maybe three partners that have the same requirement. LMAO - that's expecting this poor doctor to get "messaged" twice a week or more!!!! It is virtually impossible. So, you will have to lie and you wil be driven nuts by the ride alongs and requirements, not to mention never being able to hit your goals unless you're extremely lucky.
3. You will not make any money. Oh, AZ's salary is great and the benes are OK, but the bonus is shit and you will never hit it unless you are one of managements chosen and your goals have been manipulated. So, expect to get written up.
4. You will have the constant feeling that management wants you out and all of your counterparts are backstabbling assholes who have no clue how to work as a team. Other problem is that no hospital wants two or three of you calling on them. Have even more fun with that.
5. Your car is a POS and you will drive like a chicken with your head cut off to meet these ridiculous targeting goals and to work around your four other partners.

(Oh, a good part of your bonus is Crestor and you will be turned into a sample dropper and nothing more. . . not a specialty position by any stretch.)

So, think long and hard about coming here. I wish I did not.

WOW. VERY VERY CLOSE TO THE TRUTH IN EVERY ASPECT.

SO GLAD I GOT OUT IN LAST REDUCTIONS, TOOK MY MONEY AND ENJOYED THE SUMMER.

 

[Anonymous]

to the "west" poster...why the hell did you say yes to the overlay if you didn't want it? I don't get it. stand up for yourself

 

[Anonymous]

to the "west" poster...why the hell did you say yes to the overlay if you didn't want it? I don't get it. stand up for yourself

If "west" had the same B.S. milk shake they gave me, I can see why. Management lied through their teeth to pull me from a job I actually liked. I was told that the territory was doing great (not), the cars are SUVs (not), I will easily hit goal and make 130-140k (not), my manager is not a micromanager (not), the district functions as a great team - one big happy family (not), and (drum roll), I would not have to drive and drive like I did with my old job (HUGE not). It is tough to make a good decision when the picture painted is not even close to reality. That was just some of it - training was a lie, the benefits were NOT even close to what HR actually told me. This company is one big mess. Oh, did I talk about IT. LMAO!!!!! !!!!!! !!!!!! The software and computers are a POS. I am on the help desk at least once a week and often twice. Great going AZ!!! I feel like I talk to them more than I talk to my customers.

 

[Anonymous]

Its too late. AZ is all in with Brilinta. We are basically banking everything we have on its success. Failure is not an option at this point and AZ will put every resource it can to ensure its success. It is really one of the make or break products for this company.

With MC only paying for four drugs, Brilinta gets a fail. (Patients need brand insulin and an oral or two, probably a statin and an ace. If the pt has to pay cash, they are going with cheap.) Doctors seriously do NOT care. This not caring goes into docs and nurses really NOT having time to use ACCESS Brilinta or writing PA/QLs for anyone. They HATE call backs and any extra paperwork. Stocking is also a problem and if the patient cannot get Brilinta right away, that puts everyone at risk, making Plavix a less effective but safer choice. These cardio patients are train wrecks. If they can keep them out for 30 to 60 days from coming back, everyone is happy. Plavix can do that and it's cheap and it's once a day, it's comfortable and predictable in most people. Brilinta, with the exception of the wealthest areas of the nation or areas with extraordinatry MM coverage, will always be a niche product. ALWAYS. It will never replace Plavix anytime in the near future. Let's face it. Plavix can also be used for stroke and PAD. Brilinta does not indications for that. Many CV pts also have PAD. The doc is going to choose Plavix. Sorry, I know the truth hurts.

 

[Anonymous]

This post is dead on ! During the latest West region change ups..... I was " given the honor " of being switched to an over-lay position. I feel totally fu**ed... when a lay off happens and I am sure it will. I will be screwed because my manager is a selfish jerk. He does not realize how bad he has screwed me.


I would never sign up for an over-lay unless you are prepared to get screwed come lay-off time.

This is true. If I had to guess at the plan, the new alignment puts three to four reps selling Brilinta in each territory and we are all mirror overlays. If they go to a leadership behavior as the reason for our scores, it is really up to being a kiss ass. Our new CEO is going to roll heads probably third quarter in 2013 and cut anyone not in the top 1/3. But this is no problem b/c then AZ CVAS/Hospital force will be right sized finally. It will suck, but you are so right. Lay-offs are coming and the cuts to this division will be deep. All companies go crazy right before huge cuts. They know there are too many of us and that will soon be fixed. I am so pissed I took this job.

 

[Anonymous]

to the "west" poster...why the hell did you say yes to the overlay if you didn't want it? I don't get it. stand up for yourself

I was assigned. They were trying to mirror us and after the musical chairs stopped, I got screwed because there was too many of us. My boss basically liked my report partner better than me. He is really up management's ass. I am really am disappointed, I made the mistake of thinking my boss gave a shit and he did not. I now have a huge traveling territory. I have ok numbers and do on my stuff on time....no problem from an hr or admin perspective. The person that got the best territory takes at least 12 sck days a year, late on everything and the same numbers as me.