What is the worst pharmaceutical company to work for

BMS was bad 10 years ago and it never changed. I work for AZ and can absolutely say they are the worst of the worst. It is the most dysfunctional nasty backstabbing useless culture you will ever encounter. I get maybe 20 emails a day all with "action" items that really are just about how we suck or how marketing (to justify their jobs) has recreated yet another piece for the tenth time in one month. The afterhours work is as bad as BMS and the IT (OMG!) you would think you're on dial up b/c just entering one call can take 15 to 20 min. BMS still has once a month FVs. AZ has THREE times a month. Yes, you have to be with your manager spouting brand strategy and making important calls three times a month. Worse, YOU HAVE AT LEAST FOUR TO FIVE MIRROR IMAGE PARTNERS CALLING ON THE EXACT SAME 90 TARGETS. Yes, read correctly. Try getting in to anywhere when one of your mirror counterparts was just in yesterday. Stay away from AZ even if you're unemployed. Just putting that shithole on your resume will turn off any good recruiters/jobs. I mean that.
 








It has been a nightmare working for express scripts/Accredo. Since their merger, the patient is NOT the priority. It's all about the numbers. The requirements asked of the employee is outrageous - it requires giving up any family life as there is extensive travel every week with intermittent weekend work. I would advise that no one work for this company.
 




Yep, loved Merck too. Nice place to work. Great to their employees, reasonable workdays and expectations. Too bad they only hire from the contract side now.

I call troll on this…Merck is by far, without a doubt, the worst of the worst…I know AZ is bad…and several other of the BIg Pharma's are bad…

But Merck management are just devilish…

to call Merck toxic, is a huge understatement…RUN…do not walk away from that company.
 




Pfizer. Being asked to put a sample bottle in every single doctor's hand was degrading and inappropriate; what if the doctor was heading to see a completely different patient? 'By any means necessary' was their motto. Absolutely the worst.

Disgusting for Pfizer to do that! Obviously the decision to do that from people who never spent a significant time in the field.

Yeah, really, put Viagra in their hand as they go see a female patient....right! Silly New Yorkers Make the reps look like fools!
 




BMS was bad 10 years ago and it never changed. I work for AZ and can absolutely say they are the worst of the worst. It is the most dysfunctional nasty backstabbing useless culture you will ever encounter. I get maybe 20 emails a day all with "action" items that really are just about how we suck or how marketing (to justify their jobs) has recreated yet another piece for the tenth time in one month. The afterhours work is as bad as BMS and the IT (OMG!) you would think you're on dial up b/c just entering one call can take 15 to 20 min. BMS still has once a month FVs. AZ has . THREE times a month. Yes, you have to be with your manager spouting brand strategy and making important calls three times a month. Worse, YOU HAVE AT LEAST FOUR TO FIVE MIRROR IMAGE PARTNERS CALLING ON THE EXACT SAME 90 TARGETS. Yes, read correctly. Try getting in to anywhere when one of your mirror counterparts was just in yesterday. Stay away from AZ even if you're unemployed. Just putting that shithole on your resume will turn off any good recruiters/jobs. I mean that.

Agreed. AZ Diabetes the worst of the worst. Have never been happier since getting out of that shitpile.
 




I don't think there are any "good" companies out there. Geez, they all require the reps to actually be accountable for their time in the field. How silly is that?
 




Most reps want to work and do their job, what they don't want is micromanagement and canned selling messages etc. talk to any Pharma vet in this industry and they will tell you they don't need a manager once a month! It's a joke! Name one other sales job where the salesman has somebody over their shoulder that much? Tons of middle management and no innovation.
 




Look, its still a great job for only one reason: the pay is above average in the sales profession.

Try other sales jobs. You will work 2X as hard and make a few bucks less. BUT, in time, you will make more in other sales jobs AND you will be more respected by your customers and your company and you will have more leverage to use your relationships with other companies.

The problem with pharma. is that there are too many arrogant people in it. And, they don't care about what you have done in the industry. If you get downsized, for example, they think you are not a good salesperson, which is total BS.

My suggestion is the NEVER get into this industry. If you are stuck in the industy, your best best is to move into management. Don't stay as a rep. It is not good. You will get downsized and you will lose a lot of respect from others because you look like you lacked the ambition to move up. I know it sounds silly, but that is pharma. for you.

In other industries, if you are a producer, you are looked up to. You can pick your own hours. You become more of an expert as well.

In pharma., if you stay in field sales, you will be looked upon as a hack after about 5 years unless you moved into managment.

With all that said, there really are no bad pharma. companies, because the pay is very good for such a structured and generally easy job.
 








Alcon is the biggest winner hands down! Go ask anyone there. Even the surgical side sucks. People are escaping that place left and right. Novartis buys your company and it immediately goes down the gutter.