Former CNS manager now in primary care. The future is slightly better!

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Anonymous

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I was happy to land in primary care. Symbicort and Crestor at least have some patent life left. Yes, I realize the pipeline is dry. However, compare primary care with the remaining CNS division.

This is my honest opinion. The best CNS reps were moved to primary care. Why? CNS in general is considered by Senior management to be the best sales force historically. I can see it first hand. I had some great CNS reps moved into my primary care district.

Senior management realizes Seroquel XR will tank in 6 months once Seroquel IR, Zyprexa, and Geodon generics all gain traction in the pharma wholesalers.

The remaining CNS franchise will be the first to go in 9-12 months unless AZ can in license a new product or we buy/merge with another company.

All of these concepts were discussed in the calibration meetings regarding which reps would be retained. If you are a retained CNS rep, you ranked at the low end of CNS. The highly ranked CNS reps were moved to primary care in case the company survives in its current format for one or more years.

If you are retained CNS, or retained Diabetes, you really should continue your job search with vigor.

I share this because I know some of the folks I managed are good people, but not the highest ranked sales reps. Use this stay of execution to find your future!
 




I am a former CNS rep that was shifted to primary care. I am happy to have a new opportunity! I think everything you said is true. Thanks for shedding a little light on the situation.
 




Anonymous said:
I was happy to land in primary care. Symbicort and Crestor at least have some patent life left. Yes, I realize the pipeline is dry. However, compare primary care with the remaining CNS division.

This is my honest opinion. The best CNS reps were moved to primary care. Why? CNS in general is considered by Senior management to be the best sales force historically. I can see it first hand. I had some great CNS reps moved into my primary care district.

Senior management realizes Seroquel XR will tank in 6 months once Seroquel IR, Zyprexa, and Geodon generics all gain traction in the pharma wholesalers.

The remaining CNS franchise will be the first to go in 9-12 months unless AZ can in license a new product or we buy/merge with another company.

All of these concepts were discussed in the calibration meetings regarding which reps would be retained. If you are a retained CNS rep, you ranked at the low end of CNS. The highly ranked CNS reps were moved to primary care in case the company survives in its current format for one or more years.

If you are retained CNS, or retained Diabetes, you really should continue your job search with vigor.

I share this because I know some of the folks I managed are good people, but not the highest ranked sales reps. Use this stay of execution to find your future!
Click to expand...

Symbicort and Crestor. So you've got what, two years tops (if that) till 2014 unless AZ buys another company or product?
 




Symbicort has generic Advair on the horizon and Crestor is already taking a huge hit, and will continue to, from generic Lipitor.

Not so sure that I would be so positive. Have you seen some of the Crestor quarterly targets? Did they realize Lipitor went generic?
 








Anonymous said:
Symbicort has generic Advair on the horizon and Crestor is already taking a huge hit, and will continue to, from generic Lipitor.

Not so sure that I would be so positive. Have you seen some of the Crestor quarterly targets? Did they realize Lipitor went generic?
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Generic ad air would have to complete device studies and that in itself is prohibitive
 




I'll be honest, I was displaced to PC and had my ego bruised by the move. It is hard this week to say good-bye to doctors I have called on for 10+ years. Good luck to all of us.
 




If your ego is bruised moving to primary care think about how it would feel if you were let go. I've been both a specialty, hospital and primary care rep. The most difficult job by far in today's world is primary care. Calling on psychs and trying to make a difference with them is much easier than having very little time with an HCP in the primary care arena.
 




Let's now lose sight of the fact that it is a JOB...Given that i thought i would be unemployed...i am pleased with the move from CNS to PC. If nothing else it is an opportunity to expand my "circle". I have been in CNS for almost 10 years as well...CNS is dead. PC may not be far behind it, but really, what hope does CNS have? And only 1 product is not a very efficient use of all of those salaries. They are investing time and money in training us, so that says something...who really knows what it says, but again, it is a job. Bottom line is crestor is important to this company, regardless of the generic status of the big L. Seroquel IR status is much more problematic that Lipitor to me...both are difficult...but Seroquel IR is the same molecule as XR...that is problematic (period). My biggest fear is the DSMs for these positions, and who is going to out shine whom. I have been treated as an adult for the past 10 years, for the most part...hopefully i have not landed with some immature micromanaging "child"....It is a darn good pay check and benefits, so i will manage! I am heart-broken that some of my dear friends did not make it....
 




Anonymous said:
I was happy to land in primary care. Symbicort and Crestor at least have some patent life left. Yes, I realize the pipeline is dry. However, compare primary care with the remaining CNS division.

This is my honest opinion. The best CNS reps were moved to primary care. Why? CNS in general is considered by Senior management to be the best sales force historically. I can see it first hand. I had some great CNS reps moved into my primary care district.

Senior management realizes Seroquel XR will tank in 6 months once Seroquel IR, Zyprexa, and Geodon generics all gain traction in the pharma wholesalers.

The remaining CNS franchise will be the first to go in 9-12 months unless AZ can in license a new product or we buy/merge with another company.

All of these concepts were discussed in the calibration meetings regarding which reps would be retained. If you are a retained CNS rep, you ranked at the low end of CNS. The highly ranked CNS reps were moved to primary care in case the company survives in its current format for one or more years.

If you are retained CNS, or retained Diabetes, you really should continue your job search with vigor.

I share this because I know some of the folks I managed are good people, but not the highest ranked sales reps. Use this stay of execution to find your future!
Click to expand...

So If I understand correctly you are saying that since I remain in CNS specialty force, I'm what, dog food, not the creme de la creme?! And that I should vigorously job search or soon face the executioner?

I'm sure your DSM "colleagues" are lovin' you.

Although there could be a ring of truth to it, this still sounds like a self-congratulatory pat on the back if you ask me. In the meantime, you might remember where you are and watch yours.
 












You have it completely backwards, OP, which proves that you are not a DM. CNS reps that scored higher on the skills assessment were kept in CNS. if you hadnt noticed, CNS reps that scored lower were moved to primary care "bumping" out the lower PC reps. AZ will do the same thing next time. The reps that are in CNS ( and diabetes) will be kept again during the next round of cuts, if they come, moving out the lower PC reps. AZ is not going to layoff their higher performing reps, no matter what the pipeline holds. AZ will keep the reps that can do the job, they will just move them to whatever team they need them in.
 




Anonymous said:
You have it completely backwards, OP, which proves that you are not a DM. CNS reps that scored higher on the skills assessment were kept in CNS. if you hadnt noticed, CNS reps that scored lower were moved to primary care "bumping" out the lower PC reps. AZ will do the same thing next time. The reps that are in CNS ( and diabetes) will be kept again during the next round of cuts, if they come, moving out the lower PC reps. AZ is not going to layoff their higher performing reps, no matter what the pipeline holds. AZ will keep the reps that can do the job, they will just move them to whatever team they need them in.
Click to expand...

You are about half right. The next round of cuts will be much deeper. CNS will be gone. You state that, "AZ is not going to layoff their higher performing reps, no matter what the pipeline holds", a delusional statement. In 2009, during the MCL layoff, I personally knew 4 reps that won COE the previous year that were let go. I also know of several reps that were let go that were outstanding performers, they simply didn't click with their DM. Tilton lied to us, (imagine that!) in saying that CNS would not be moving into PC.

Tomorrow we will see what sales look like in the U.S. For the entire company, I imagine that sales will be flat, but the U.S. won't look so good. We will soon see who is right.
 




Anonymous said:
You are about half right. The next round of cuts will be much deeper. CNS will be gone. You state that, "AZ is not going to layoff their higher performing reps, no matter what the pipeline holds", a delusional statement. In 2009, during the MCL layoff, I personally knew 4 reps that won COE the previous year that were let go. I also know of several reps that were let go that were outstanding performers, they simply didn't click with their DM. Tilton lied to us, (imagine that!) in saying that CNS would not be moving into PC.

Tomorrow we will see what sales look like in the U.S. For the entire company, I imagine that sales will be flat, but the U.S. won't look so good. We will soon see who is right.
Click to expand...

Here is another thought. The poster notes that AZ is not going to lay off higher performing reps no matter what happens. So take the reps who survived this and previous rounds - good reps right? Well the next round if AZ wishes to remove a similar % of reps, many of those "good reps" will go too. The ranking simply adjusts for the present head count.
 




Anonymous said:
I was happy to land in primary care. Symbicort and Crestor at least have some patent life left. Yes, I realize the pipeline is dry. However, compare primary care with the remaining CNS division.

This is my honest opinion. The best CNS reps were moved to primary care. Why? CNS in general is considered by Senior management to be the best sales force historically. I can see it first hand. I had some great CNS reps moved into my primary care district.

Senior management realizes Seroquel XR will tank in 6 months once Seroquel IR, Zyprexa, and Geodon generics all gain traction in the pharma wholesalers.

The remaining CNS franchise will be the first to go in 9-12 months unless AZ can in license a new product or we buy/merge with another company.

All of these concepts were discussed in the calibration meetings regarding which reps would be retained. If you are a retained CNS rep, you ranked at the low end of CNS. The highly ranked CNS reps were moved to primary care in case the company survives in its current format for one or more years.

If you are retained CNS, or retained Diabetes, you really should continue your job search with vigor.

I share this because I know some of the folks I managed are good people, but not the highest ranked sales reps. Use this stay of execution to find your future!
Click to expand...

Anyone who post this drivel on cafe pharma is a complete piece of shit. There is no basis for anything you shared except your egotistical opinion. Good luck to anyone reporting to you.
 




Sad thing is that you could be the most skilled rep but if lack managed care coverage, limited access, etc your sales will suffer. Performance is based on "subjective" behaviors. True "objective" data does not exist for a rep. If Dr. Jones wrote 50 new rxs who made that happen? Which one of the 4 reps calling on him made the impact? What happens when there is a formulary win and sales increase? Many reps with poor skills have won COE.

Perception is reality in this industry. If your manager, and their manager thinks your good then you will be fine. So many reps hurt themselves by complaining all the time to the wrong people (DM). This job has become a field marketing position where reps provide 30 second mini commercials. It is all about signatures, Reach and frequency.
 




I agree with the OP and completely disagree that diabetes will somehow bump PC in the next round. Diabetes is the next to go. Dapa is dead and the Onglyza franchise can't support and entire sales force. BMS, who owns the molecule, has already made this known to its sales force.
 




The fact is most of us in the next couple of years will be replaced by some type of CSO representative. Either an online rep, telemarketer rep or sample dropper. Do some research online and you will see that "Big Pharma" is moving rapidly to the CSO format. The companies that provide this service are some of the fastest growing companies in our industry. Look at the job openings online and how many "inside sales" positions do you see for pharma sales? I can't remember seeing those positions in the past and they are only increasing. Yes they will always need reps like us, but, not nearly as many as we currently have.
 




With CNS R&D cuts I'm very happy to have been placed in PC. We are all basically "on contracts" but cutting ur r&d in that therapeutic area says...that is not our focus folks...CNS future is in purchasing "something"... Dementia related maybe?...but antidepressant etc is a crowed class....they need to move on. Wow never thought I would be happy to have crestor...yikes!
 




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