Correct, we had paper vouchers instead the doc had to sign, but it started in 1986, not 2006!
Retirees: Did you ever sell samples? How much money did you make?
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Yes, the so-called Dingel-bill, named after the congressman, was passed in 85 or so. It required signatures for samples and a regular inventory.
Yeah, they meant it, too.They checked those sigs right off. I knew at least three reps canned for faking sigs.
Once caught, there was no appeal no matter what your record looked like. You were gone.
I had 5 drugs that I sampled back in the day. Doc’s did have to sign but had no clue how much or how little you left in the sample closet. We had something called ‘stock bottles’ for those who remember it. Basically a bottle w/30 pills. Doc has a relative that needed my product and I had a relative that needed a product I didn’t have. Easy switch in the sample closet. Happened all the time.
I call B.S. Maybe 5% did this at most. The good ole boy types. Fortunately the vast majority back then had a moral compass.
Agree, that is what I saw as well. The Drs, not the reps
Remember an RD and DM negotiate a local deal with a local payer and gave tons of cases of samples to them for exclusivity. Local payer had there own pharmacy and the pharmacy took samples out of boxes and used to give to patients and charge patients.They were supposed to then write more of the drug which never happened. The RD and DM had the success story written up in company newsletter. They got all kinds of accolades at the upcoming meeting.
It was referred to as “leveraging resources”, ah the good ole days.
My DM once was told by a pharmacy benefit manager for a payer that he needed to join Amway for him. The worst part I was pulled into it on the spot. Not wanting to blow the deal I succumbed. Yes, the good ole days. At least we got the contract and were looked upon as major closers by the management team.
Ah the good old days of Rorer (pre-Rhone Poulenc). We reps would meet in the parking lot of the major health center and swap a few sample packs of Lozol or Slo-Bid for something one of our parents were taking like prescription Zantac or Cardizem. The paper forms were tweaked at the next office to reflect this. Those with the best pens or sticky notes were the balls
In the 70's. it was called NTI, non taxable income. Wallace would sell Miltown for $1.00/ea to retail pharmacy and .10 cents/ea to nursing home. Rep would sell to retail for 50 cent and cut RN home Rph in. Rep paid cash for a black Caddy from NTI. Retailers would teach new reps how to do it. "Take a couple of bottles of your favorite booze from the shelf and bring something in something from your trunk to cover it." and it would grow from there. There were rings of reps who, at national sales meetings would offer you $120/case of Lasix samples which they would send you in advance if you would UPS the cases unopened. This all took place before signatures and accountability.