The Fall and Decline of the Pharma Rep

[anonymous]

Dude you got it all wrong. All is groovy man. We just keep making them calls and executing flawlessly and deliver the EZCater way and have the evening speaker programs with the same old crew and all is good. Stop fretting it man. you need to chill and take it easy and do what we all do. Fake it until they take it. I made it through again and the party rolls on. Fire one up with me bro.

 

[anonymous]

Right on man. You got the spirit. So tired of all these reality kings. Just slow ride this bitch and burn the kush till the Turk comes for your playbook. All good. Chilling. Pharma is the bomb.

 

[anonymous]

It's really a sad state of affairs. I've been done now for over 6 months. I'm so happy that I was cut. Towards the end it was becoming harder and harder to pretend I had something new to tell my hcp's. When I showed up with my "manager" they gazed upon me with pity. This sales model is so damn broken. Rotating CBD'a without sales experience and DSM's who've been placed just because they know someone at HQ certainly weakens our morale and lowers our impact on sales overall. And don't even get me started on how our diversification had lowered our standards of excellence. Let me tell you this, get the hell out asap! If they offer you a package go for it and don't look back. I'm so better off for having done so and, trust me, you will be too. A lot of my former HCP "customers" are my friends on facebook and they tell me this selling model is all over. They say they're glad I'm out of it because it was becoming demeaning to me. And it was.

 

[anonymous]

Right on man. You got the spirit. So tired of all these reality kings. Just slow ride this bitch and burn the kush till the Turk comes for your playbook. All good. Chilling. Pharma is the bomb.

Pack me another bowl bro. Career stress sucks, so let's just chill. But at some point I will put the pipe down while I interview and then secure my next gig. May have to go a couple months before I get the opportunity to pee in a cup, pass the silly test, and then hit up the dispensary for some Sour Diesel. In the meantime, whiskey will suffice.

 

[anonymous]

Pack me another bowl bro. Career stress sucks, so let's just chill. But at some point I will put the pipe down while I interview and then secure my next gig. May have to go a couple months before I get the opportunity to pee in a cup, pass the silly test, and then hit up the dispensary for some Sour Diesel. In the meantime, whiskey will suffice.

1800 AA or NA my friend , sounds so millennialy cool like , my hopeful future member - if you can get it now its a blessing -it took me to age 37 and the damage was significant . May you find your higher power sooner than later .Good luck

 

[anonymous]

It's really a sad state of affairs. I've been done now for over 6 months. I'm so happy that I was cut. Towards the end it was becoming harder and harder to pretend I had something new to tell my hcp's. When I showed up with my "manager" they gazed upon me with pity. This sales model is so damn broken. Rotating CBD'a without sales experience and DSM's who've been placed just because they know someone at HQ certainly weakens our morale and lowers our impact on sales overall. And don't even get me started on how our diversification had lowered our standards of excellence. Let me tell you this, get the hell out asap! If they offer you a package go for it and don't look back. I'm so better off for having done so and, trust me, you will be too. A lot of my former HCP "customers" are my friends on facebook and they tell me this selling model is all over. They say they're glad I'm out of it because it was becoming demeaning to me. And it was.

Yes even the doctors talk about how they can no longer really decide on what drugs get filled so it makes no sense to see reps any more. they will not fight for a drug as that part of the practice they gave up on. They have only so much autonomy but will not waste it for your drug with the copay card which they know is a charity scam. It is all but over and even the veterans cannot get in to offices to fake calls either

 

[anonymous]

Yes even the doctors talk about how they can no longer really decide on what drugs get filled so it makes no sense to see reps any more. they will not fight for a drug as that part of the practice they gave up on. They have only so much autonomy but will not waste it for your drug with the copay card which they know is a charity scam. It is all but over and even the veterans cannot get in to offices to fake calls either

I am sure like the most of you, I put in my 4 hours today and faked all but one call. I spent part of my 4 hours listening to talk radio, texting friends, and playing a game on an AP. As far as copay cards, it is a huge scam that is costing the insurance companies billions by making consumers think they are getting something for free and the insurance companies haven't found a way to stop it, YET.

 

[anonymous]

This is simply not true. Every day I have full sit down details with my doctors and they love when I show them the size of my increases in efficacy over generics and even ask me to come closer since the iPad is so hard to see. We talk about the pivotal trials used to support our indication then we fully discuss both the safety and efficacy of my brands along with fair balance and ISI. Then I always leave a PI and if that does not happen, then a call does not get recorded. They especially appreciate it when I reinforce the appropriate patient type for them since they are too busy to read up on that and I remind them of our 3 key selling points after having led off with some new insight into their practice that allows us to create positive tension and grow our business. Shame if you don't as this is how I can sleep at night knowing how much good i do for patients.

At a business emphasis meeting these exact words can (and have) been stated. All bobble heads in attendance will eagerly nod their heads up and down. Said outside of that setting? Hilarious!

 

[anonymous]

Great Job ...if...you're fresh out of State U. with communications degree and plan to only stay in for 3 yrs max and move on to MBA (and then get real job) or move on to real sales (medical or otherwise)... IF this is nice hobby job and the Health Insure beats what your family would pay using your spouse's (who's self employed and making much bigger bucks)....IF your 5 years away from retirement and just need to pad the 401K and pay for one more wedding..

 

[anonymous]

Without sales reps then there is no need for DMs, without DMs there is no need for RDs., Without RDs there is not need for EBDs, without EBDs there is no need for NSDs. Then add in HR, Sales Training and how many depend on keeping the sales force large? It has been one big fraud for years supported by a reach and frequency fraud based on fake sales calls on Physicians that haven't received an authentic sales presentation in a decade or longer.

This is the most accurate post on the subject on this entire board. It is all a house of cards, but they need the bottom cards (the field force) to be large to keep the upper layers in place.

 

[anonymous]

In ten years, all of the reps and managers and directors will be made redundant. Amazon drones will simply fly in and drop the samples to the offices. The office staff and the doctors will no longer get free meals. So it will be a lose/lose situation for everybody.

 

[anonymous]

I love that post about what a real call looks like. I am an industry veteran like many of you and have become really good at keeping a low profile and positive attitude. I was there in the wild 90s when we paid for people to ATTEND speaker roundtables and rotated the fees. I was there when we had MC10 of us in a hotel conference room arguing over whose DSM could attend the Wednesday lunch that week. I was there in 2011 when 40% of us were cut, then they brought all us CNS back 12 months later, then grew us again, then knocked us down again, they moved us over then got rid of all of us. Luckily I took a "hospital" job along the way and have survived again. But what is survival anyway? The show must go on right? I dread the ride-along every 4 weeks but our DSM is not half bad and she does her best to make it look as "good" as I do on paper. No arguments here when she bolts after a nice lunch. And the beat goes on.....

 

[anonymous]

In ten years, all of the reps and managers and directors will be made redundant. Amazon drones will simply fly in and drop the samples to the offices. The office staff and the doctors will no longer get free meals. So it will be a lose/lose situation for everybody.

It won't take 10 years. Maybe 2.

 

[anonymous]

It won't take 10 years. Maybe 2.

Dead-on!

 

[anonymous]

Sign of the times here in Alabama - no not football. People once talked about our access like it was paradise. We just lost one of our biggest clinics where we could at least see who was in and around and record calls against them. Now we cannot even do the DSM sample closet dance with the staff. Sucks to be me as I am really tired of the lies and deceit. Speaking of which I wonder what my DSM will put on her coaching form. Fuck me

 

[anonymous]

Sign of the times here in Alabama - no not football. People once talked about our access like it was paradise. We just lost one of our biggest clinics where we could at least see who was in and around and record calls against them. Now we cannot even do the DSM sample closet dance with the staff. Sucks to be me as I am really tired of the lies and deceit. Speaking of which I wonder what my DSM will put on her coaching form. Fuck me

Relax, we have been living this for over a decade inNew England. The lying gets easier and easier. Even DSMs know the game but will play along since their jobs are at risk too.

 

[anonymous]

Hearing about all these theories of who is on the chopping block...Is it CV, Diabetes, PCP? maybe all three?

What about these HSS's? My understanding is when MAPS got cut back to the pre-expansion number it was mainly due to those RADs that predominately called on large systems because it was hard to quantify impact. If you didn't have a contracting acct, attitude was thanks for playing and here are your lovely parting gifts. So what about the HSS's? All I see them do is give out web links to our savings program. Not much else. Can't we do that? They should be included in the mix.

 

[anonymous]

HSS is Tosh's baby and he has been protecting it. If and when he is gone, some say soon, then the HSS group is gone.

 

[anonymous]

HSS is Tosh's baby and he has been protecting it. If and when he is gone, some say soon, then the HSS group is gone.

Here is how it works. Nobody will challenge the validity or value of a program linked to a Senior Executive no matter how ridiculous or wasteful it is until that person is gone. Remember how all of the NSDs, ASDs, RSDs, etc. were so supportive of GAP training until Hickey was gone? Remember how supportive they all were of the wasteful and idiotic Customer Solutions program? Nobody dared to challenge that until TZ dealt it a death blow. HSS is the same thing. Once Tosh is gone then they will all say that they always thought it was a bad idea. Just watch.

 

[anonymous]

Great Job ...if...you're fresh out of State U. with communications degree and plan to only stay in for 3 yrs max and move on to MBA (and then get real job) or move on to real sales (medical or otherwise)... IF this is nice hobby job and the Health Insure beats what your family would pay using your spouse's (who's self employed and making much bigger bucks)....IF your 5 years away from retirement and just need to pad the 401K and pay for one more wedding..

This is so true! My husband makes much more than I do but I have the great pharma benefits. I enjoy pharma sales and try not to sweat the small stuff. We bank my income and paid off our house last month. I don't think I cold stay in pharma if I was the primary bread winner. Way to risky of an industry!