When you have been in the industry for 20 years and need to work about 5 more years, what are you suppose to do? Start at the bottom in another industry? What industry would want you over 50? Selling insurance? Getting into another industry after a certain age is very difficult. I don’t blame the recruiters. They find talent, they don’t do direct hiring.
When you need a job, you may need to lower your standards. If you are unemployed for over 6 months and over 50 the odds of getting a job are not great. At this point, I would take any pharmaceutical sales position and make it work.
If you are working, it’s easy to “not lower your standards”. “Standards” are for people who have jobs.