Drugs Rep Marketing Analyzed – Money Talks

This is a long video, about an hour so sit down when you have time or do some fast forwarding. What is interesting is that one individuals discusses how the move from the NIH to private pharmaceutical companies took place in the 90s. NIH funds dried up and pharma took over with clinical trials and studies that in the past were done pretty much at universities.

Also discussed are the medical journals, New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, where one physician declares them diluted and non reliable in many areas. The 90s appear to perhaps be the big boom time for Ghost Writing after listening to the doctors speaking here. There’s one drug rep for every 4 doctors out there, that’s a lot.

I spent 25 years in another life time, not in pharmaceuticals, but in logistics and we had “big” expense accounts too and as far as business goes, people do business with people they like, and when you spend a lot of money entertaining, bringing in lunch, you get business. Lunch for sales marketing when you bring it in is prime time, even in other businesses. I almost hate to admit, but one of my big accounts was Pfizer, but selling to Pfizer is different though as they do enforce policies when you come around to solicit business from “their” employees. Pfizer welcomed me as I helped employees with computers and technology and again, entertainment even to bringing in lunch was tight and approval had to be given high up the ladder before you could bring lunch in and approved ahead of time. I thought this was interesting to share from the other side of marketing to a drug company.

Back on target though, the video discusses the marketing and how quietly it evolved over the years to the model we have today. There are tons of drugs out there today, unlike 20 years ago, so the heat is on to compete and sell. The video clips from the movie “Side Effects” here are interesting too when one rep walks in to an office and sees a lobby full of other drugs reps. Also brought up is the long amount of time taken by the FDA on shutting down commercials on television that should not be there. Big pharma is the largest and most powerful lobbying group in Washington. BD

PharmaGossip: Money Talks - Profits Before Patient Safety