Monday, November 26, 2007

New Book

Pill Pushers: A Big Pharma Battle For Market Share is a great read! Get your copy now through www.PillPushersTheBook.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

All you veteran reps will really enjoy this joke! We can all empathize with this story ...


Diary of New Pharmaceutical Representative (Drug Rep)

WEEK ONE - I can't believe that right out of college a Fortune 500 company
has hired me! My major in Biology and minor in Elizabethan Poetry sure
must have helped. I think the fact that I was the head cheerleader in
college proved my abundance of team spirit. To be making $50,000 a year at
age 23 isn't too shabby. And I get a new car, too!

WEEK TWO - My bosses seem real nice. I haven't met anyone else out in the
field yet. Got a lot of information to study before training starts.
There is a lot to know about hypertension, I tell you that. It is so
interesting to learn how each mechanism of how our drug works. I wonder
why they even need sales reps when it is obvious that our ACE inhibitor is
the best. The information they have given me to look at shows how it so
superior to the competitors. This job is going to be a piece of cake! I
bet the doctors are going to love seeing me come their way.

WEEK FOUR - Boy, those tests were hard but I passed all of them. Going to
Florida for a big company meeting. This is awesome. A free trip to
Orlando. Theme parks. Meeting other reps from around the country. There
are a lot of other pharmaceutical reps that were cheerleaders. That's
weird.

WEEK FIVE - The meetings were inspiring! There were thousands of us
chanting our company name! The lectures on our products just proved I
picked the best team to join. There is no question we possess the most
effective and unique products available. I can see myself working for this
company forever. Nothing is going to stop me from climbing their ladder
into a higher administrative level.

WEEK SEVEN - Another field rep had me shadow him for a day. He seemed a
little down when I met him; however he seemed to perk up once he saw me. I
am sure it is a pick-me-up for him to mentor someone new. He kept asking
me why I would pick this job. Then he asked if I can handle personal
rejection. Of course I can handle rejection. I remember when I didn't get
picked for junior prom queen. I cried for weeks but I eventually got over
it and became stronger in the long run. Most of our day was spent on the
road talking or trying to get into different medical offices. We only got
to meet two doctors. Boy, were they in a rush. I don't think the field
rep did such a great job. Our product is so good, he needs to get right in
those doctors faces! I can't wait until it is my turn.

WEEK EIGHT - First day by myself. Met Dr. Smith. He must be stressed
because he cut me off in the middle of my sentence and walked way. He must
have forgotten I was there because he never came back. Dr. Johnson was
just the opposite. It was great. It seemed he wouldn't stop talking to
me. In fact, he wanted to meet me for dinner to just talk about my drug.
What was really funny is that he forgot what drug I even had but promised
he would use it no matter what is was? I am one hell of a salesperson!

MONTH THREE - I am not sure why some doctors won't even meet with me. They
want some samples but that is all. Had a lunch with a group of internists.
They didn't even show up and I spent $200 on lunch for their staff. They
weren't even that thankful either. That was kind of rude.

MONTH FOUR - Still having trouble getting in to see some doctors. Dr. Ryan
told me off and was extremely irritable. He said I was too forceful. I sat
in my car and cried for a half-hour. I know I can do better at this. I
think our drug is pretty good. I just need to be more assertive.

MONTH FIVE - Rode with my boss who watched my every move. I was really
nervous. Still couldn't get in to some offices. What was worse was that
my boss kept interrupting me like he was making the sale himself. Listen,
buddy, if you want my job you can have it. When he left I cried in my car
for fifteen minutes.

MONTH SIX - Had another dinner program for doctors. Only a few showed.
The speaker wanted his money right then and there like I was the one who
was paying him out of my own account. Then the mother f$%&^r starting
talking positively about our competitors! Whore.

MONTH SEVEN - The marketing people wanted us to have a "birthday party" for
our ACE inhibitor. It has been on the market for three years now and they
recommend we use the birthday hats and napkins that they gave us. It has
our logo and drug name on it. They said the doctors would love it. Who
the f%&^ are they kidding? As if I am going to get the few doctors that
even give me the time of day to light candles and wear hats because our
lousy "me too" drug is three years old and selling like sh&*? Do these
marketing people even know what's going on out in the real world?

MONTH EIGHT - Dr. Smith, who was so rude to me, wants to know if I have any
baseball tickets for the upcoming series. I wonder if the phrase "kiss my
ass" means anything to him. Saw Dr. Johnson recently. After the "episode"
which occurred at our last dinner, I have purposely stayed away from him.
The restraining order still remains. He needs to get a life.

MONTH NINE - Went back to our bullsh&% meeting in Florida again. Who are
they fooling with this AMWAY crap? This is all cult worship anyway. In
fact, I'd rather drink Kool-Aid laced with cyanide than sell this piece of
sh$& drug. We met in small groups and they tried to teach us new points
that would persuade any doctor to use our drug. Talk about a circle jerk.
Got drunk most nights I was down there.

MONTH TEN - The company is getting on my case more and more. They want to
know what I am doing every minute of every day. They want signatures.
They want programs. They want my first-born. My boss is a prick and if he
interrupts me one more time I am going to kick him in his balls.

MONTH ELEVEN - Slept with Dr. Johnson. Fu$# it, I needed the numbers. I
am also giving away stocking stuffers of goodies to any doctor that will
write my loser medication. Whatever it takes to make bonus. Dr. Flock
again tells me he is writing our drug. What a fu*^%g liar. We buy the
prescription numbers right from the pharmacy so I know what his numbers
actually are and this guy bullsh%ts me right to my face. I think he wants
to sleep with me.

MONTH TWELVE - Slept with my boss. I needed to keep him off my case. One
more dinner program and I will put the cyanide in the doctors' drinks
myself. Every time I get new marketing material, I throw it right in the
trash. Our company sucks. I know I hit all numbers but they changed the
threshold at the last minute and screwed me out of my bonus.

MONTH THIRTEEN - This job sucks. If I see another pompous physician I will
kick him right in the balls like I did my boss. I will die before I ever
feed a bunch of overweight and ungrateful staff workers again. Told my
boss to go screw himself or screw Dr. Johnson and leave me the f&^k alone.
Threw my keys to the generic minivan at him and walked away with my pride.
Never again will I work for a pharmaceutical company.

MONTH FIFTEEN - Took a job at our rival. They got some new stuff in the
pipeline. The money is even better than my old company. Called Dr.
Johnson and will meet him Tuesday night.