A Brief, Yet Beneficial Manifesto

The word, ‘Manifesto’, is of Latin origin, and means, ‘to make public’. This needs to be done more in the pharmaceutical industry in the first place. It’s basically an open statement or statements of standards related to good behavior based on principles, as suggested by a rep who has been in this vocation for a period spanning two decades..
What follows are not the rules or commandments from one individual who is composing this article in an attempt to be a moral entrepreneur. As with most of what I write, I am simply offering thoughts and information for readers to contemplate.
Suggestions for pharmaceutical representatives regarding the nature of their vocation:
Never park your free company car closest to the entrance of a doctor’s office or medical facility. Obviously, both locations treat sick people- some more sick than others. Consider parking towards the back of the parking area. For one thing, exercise is good for you. Same goes for medical institutions, and so forth.
Upon entering a medical location mentioned a moment ago, if you happen to notice more than one pharmaceutical representative sitting in what may be a small waiting room, consider leaving and return at another time. Don’t worry. You will not get fired. Do not be so insistent or persistent that you risk disrupting those in the waiting room who certainly need to see the doctor much more than you do, as well as the medical staff at such a location. A similar suggestion is that if you enter a waiting room with no other reps along with few patients waiting to see the doctor, strike up a conversation with these patients. This rarely happens- reps initiating conversation with patients. They are not lepers, and it may be good public relations for your industry. I conclude this last statement from my own experience.
To the male representatives, when working in your territory as a pharmaceutical representative, consider avoiding wearing a 1000 dollar Brooks Brothers suit- in a rural areas in particular. Why? First of all, rarely do doctors wear suits when they are practicing medicine presently in such areas. Secondly, whenever a man wears a tie, it is a non-verbal statement that such a man wants money, which clearly is not an image you should create. I’m not suggesting that you as a male representative wear jeans and/or an AC/DC black T-shirt. A sport coat with a shirt with a collar should be fine, and more appropriate- considering the area where you may be working in order to blend in more than most representatives do presently. You will bring a refreshing uniqueness to you as an individual drug rep. Conversely, if you are a drug rep in a high class area of a big city, then a suit is in fact appropriate. Regardless, this suggestion fractures historical, yet unspoken boundaries regarding this dress code paradigm. I recommend that this issue be a topic for further discussion and analysis.

As a pharmaceutical representative, and you do in fact have an opportunity to be invited back into the medical office’s patient area to ‘check samples’, this gives you an opportunity, but not a right or entitlement, to speak with the doctor or health care provider. Strive to read the environment and those that are present in this patient treatment area. Are employees moving quickly as you observe them? Does the doctor appear over-whelmed? If so, absolutely do not discuss your business at such times, which is the ultimate reason you are there. You will not get fired, and the doctor and their staff may possibly if not likely at times have more concerning issues than your presence there and what you want to accomplish. It would be to your benefit and others to realize this, as you visit this office in the future, which you will likely do in your territory. And the clinic may respect you more than other reps as well.

I’ve read juvenile and angry statements on boards such as Cafepharma. I know the concerns of some if not many pharmaceutical representatives, such as the ridiculous activities you are coerced to do without reason or purpose known to you, if such things really exist, so these are likely accurate assessments often from such drug reps. So I suggest that you as a pharmaceutical representative avoid being in a constant state of understandable anger or vexation as you work during the day. People are more transparent than many realize (with the exception of psychopaths). Those in the medical community that you interrupt (and you do to some degree) would rather not view you as being in this state or disposition of being cynical or demoralized. Attempt to present yourself in a pleasant and presentable mood before entering a medical location you wish to or are ordered to visit. You actually might make another person’s day, and be brave, perhaps, and attempt if appropriate to make members of the medical staff smile and/or laugh if appropriate. Speaking of this, your vocation is not about your looks or personality, but rather what benefits you may offer patients with your company and their products and services. Secure your ego and bravado during your interactions with medical professionals.
With pharmaceutical corporations, and perhaps with all corporations, there seems to be a constant theme with sales forces in particular to strive to make a favorable impression to and for their employers. This is understandable and somewhat necessary for job security. Yet do not ever confuse innovation or creative acts with what may be criminal acts. It happens, and it is not a good thing to do- because of reasons such as what I have suggested are often are due to simple ignorance. So I suggest that others learn about federal laws relevant to this profession of pharmaceutical representatives, as I have discovered that most large pharmaceutical companies do not consider this aspect of your vocation a top priority. Furthermore, I have yet to work for a pharmaceutical company that discusses such federal laws. Likely and often, many drug reps obviously follow the instructions from their superiors, who are perhaps naïve and unaware that such instructions they may create with autonomous freedom may be illegal as they too strive to display innovation with their vocation. It is understandable that pharmaceutical representatives conclude that if they are instructed to behave in a certain way by such people and their employers, then it just has to be ethical and legal. Therefore, pharmaceutical representatives rarely question what they are mandated, asked, or coerced to do by their superiors. I suggest you get a legal dictionary, which I find to be very beneficial for confirming why you may have a pit in your stomach from being told to do something that you feel is wrong. This would be for the benefit of both your employer and your industry. The dictionary would be for your own benefit, as well as potentially protecting the status of your employer. No, this is not in your job description, yet this suggestion is innovation, is it not?
For example, do not ever engage in what is called in Latin, ‘quid pro quo’, which means, ‘this for that’. Just because you buy a medical office a lunch for their staff, or leave them many promoted drug samples that you have. Or if you happen to offer something of notable value to facilitate their practice or your product growth at a particular targeted medical facility, this does not mean in any of such situations that the doctor owes you anything. Reciprocity may in fact occur due to your gifting of a particular doctor. Insisting that reciprocity occurs is in fact illegal. Therefore, you should not ask for support for your products after a medical facility accepts something you offer them, nor should remind your targeted location of what you have provided them. Again, this is a federal offense. If your sales numbers are down, do not under any circumstances blame the doctor you have gifted in your territory, or any doctor in your territory, for that matter. In other words, I suggest that you not beg prescribers for increased business and focus always on patient benefits. This is difficult, my recommendation, yet is for the safety of yourself and others, I can assure you.
Finally, there are certain intrinsic human traits that you should display if not reflect upon as a pharmaceutical representative that are rarely discussed or examined thoroughly in the pharmaceutical industry. Such qualities I am referring to are those rare topics and unrecognized assets such as one’s as character, integrity, or honesty as well as the benefit of these traits, if displayed, would have on the image of the pharmaceutical industry. Consider reflecting on the meaning of such words and strive to acquire these traits within you if they are absent- because doctors should prescribe medications for the benefit for their patients, as I have stated previously, so your efforts to influence their prescribing habits should be solely focused on this premise, and not on your financial or career gain, which is difficult to do, yet necessary now more than ever. If this occurs more often, reps can reacquire their ability to look at themselves in the mirror again after their work day.
You as a pharmaceutical professional have a very unique occupation that many consider not so much as a sales job, yet more of a medical educator and supporter in the medical community that you serve, and therefore potentially are a member of this community. Such a focus presently and realistically would fracture existing paradigms within your industry, yet some risks are most certainly worth taking. If such things become your focus, you may contribute to the repair of the image of the industry you work for to an image of an ethical industry with limited fallacies and bonafide intentions.
Let’s decrease that hostility that is annotated and spoken by your colleagues often.
Thank you for your time,
Dan Abshear- seasoned ex- big pharma representative with three of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world for over a decade.