HEALTHCARE OFFICES AND HOW THEY TREAT SALES

This is a big deal especially in today's world of harassment - bullying - and the way people treat people.

Like others I viewed the NURSE video and understand she SHOULD be treated with respect and dignity and understanding but seriously do not be Hippocrates. This does not by all means apply to everyone but it sure does apply to a heck of a lot of people out there in healthcare - caregivers, doctors, nurses, etc. and the way you treat your sales representatives coming through that door or office or department.
Healthcare people CAN BE the worst people on the planet earth when it comes to a sales representative coming through that door. Sales people not only support your offices for your PATIENTS - support material, hundreds of dollars of samples for your patients, and lunches, OH GOOD GOD SO MANY lunches! THIS IS FREE FOOD! And why do these providers and caregivers so disrespectful? People come in and eat and do not even thank the sales reps or the company for this? I hate to tell you but this it NOT our job description to cater food to you but have heard FREE food is on some job descriptions in offices? And expected to be paid by pharma companies?? Does the FDA need to be informed? Does Trump need to be informed?
Just yesterday I was entering an office with food and the medical assistant nodded replied "Oh god, we just got that two days ago" and she was upset and stomped off in plain disgust........ what is wrong here?
REALLY PEOPLE? We the sales force of healthcare are not there to FEED YOUR FACES! We feed you to gain access with the understanding that you have to eat too and we are there to support you and maybe point out a new adverse event or a new product launch that may become a wonderful option helping John, Sue, Dave, or Debbie. We are there because we too have passion in the industry and want to be a part of helping people with quality of life. Yes, wow, is that hard to believe? I lost a person in my life to heart disease at a very young age. Being in healthcare is a way for me to survive in the world and add education, support, and options and hopeful quality of life.
I have walked numerous times into offices and get nasty looks, nasty remarks degrading sales representatives being UPS delivery drivers and more. Why do these receptionists JUDGE others? What gives them any right they are above others and can do this?
This is a wake up call to all healthcare providers, caregivers, nurses, anyone in healthcare that accepts food, or just plain wants to make nasty comments. Have you watched the news lately? President Trump is not happy now with healthcare and wants to make changes. I would be happy and encourage ALL people in sales to start exposing these nasty people that seem to think it is okay to downgrade and bully sales people. It is not. The training and experience behind these jobs is to help support offices for your patients. If you feel ABOVE this responsibility then you will be in for an awakening soon.
I recently was told that a lady's job description working in an office under a hospital system included FREE lunches with the responsibility served and paid by pharmaceutical companies. Really? I want to see the agreement signed by one of these pharmaceutical companies. Please use this #healthcarewrong on social media to expose this crap!

Signed,

HT

 

We created this monster all by ourselves.

 

Exactly correct.
Pharma inundated offices with reps, some good, some bad, but doctors have practices to run and weren’t paying their staffs to small - talk with reps.
Pharma rep’s demeaned the office staff with their snooty, superior attitudes, then demeaned themselves by becoming little more than a food delivery person in a suit or dress.
Yep, we did it all to ourselves and just keep doing it. Once Medicare is given the green light to negotiate prices it’s all over. Some states are now allowing drug to be purchased from Canada, a joke in that they’re simply selling our drugs back to us. The drugs we sell for a buck to Canada, are being sold back at 10 bucks to us.
Not a good business model.

 

Your indignation is very comical. At first, I thought you were being sarcastic.
You are the reason they treat you that way, you arrogant asshole.
All because we have become what they say we’ve become. You don’t have a right to enter their offices.

 

Hey idiot above I disagree and highly applaud whoever started this discussion. Bravo. Offices anymore can be crappy and negative and have no authority to judge others and careers. Offices want the food but become disrespectful to company paying the bill.

 

hahaha maybe upset rep makes quadruple what lady in chair makes, wait maybe x another 4

 

The bottom line is the lack of good manners and common courtesy throughout our society today.

I don’t care what people think of me in the privacy of their thoughts, but I do care about being treated courteously and with respect. Nobody has any business condescending to anyone else. Doctors should treat us with respect regardless of what they think of us just as we should treat janitors with respect because EVERYONE regardless of educational level or job deserves respect and courtesy. Job, station in life, educational level - makes no difference! EVERYONE deserves to be treated courteously and with appreciation for what they do! Especially if somebody is putting free food in their mouths!

 

First of all, we, as an industry have SPOILED office staff to the extent that they have feelings of entitlement. Secondly, I say this as a European, most Americans have terrible manners! Sorry to say that. And doctors and their staff are no exception! Thirdly, offices don’t need us. What value do we bring anymore after the 3rd or 4th call? Forget new studies, or new insights. We are here to change prescribing habits, not to teach medicine, not help the doctor practice better medicine. If you are here for other reasons, than I must say you will be disappointed. How else can you explain that some territories have 4 representatives with the same drugs?

Our reputation as drug reps is well known. Let’s face it, for what we do, we are horribly overpaid! Go into any other industry, and your life will be a lot harder. Add to that the daily lying we have to do to cover our asses ( 8 calls plus call notes ) all fake of course, and it’s easy to see why nobody respects us. Lastly, add the gorgeous female drug reps; every male doctor knows why companies hire them, and then you understand why we are treated the way we are. It is about the almighty Dollar, Call frequency and Reach. Your DM usually gets 10 foot erection when all 3are in sync.

When you are a drug rep, you are a prostitute, and I do not place any judgement on prostitutes. They provide a service, and they get paid. So do we. We just provide a different service. There is no difference whether you sell your body or a drug! It is just that Americans have been conditioned to look down on prostitutes, even though some of them are very nice and caring.

This job was fun 30 years ago, we sold from a proof source binder, today you either have a glossy salesaid or a short video on your iPad that nobody wants to see when the doctor is glad to get rid of you after he has signed for samples....

And there was a time, when DMs were DMs! They stood up for their reps. Today, these spineless creatures cave in when they get heat from the RD. They will through good reps under the bus to save their own skin. Have seen it over and over again in my career. Let’s face it, any 2 year old with Down syndrome will have good numbers when you have access to clinics plus formulary access. Take those two factors away and the rep is toast. Sooner or later he will either resign or get fired, only for the cycle to be repeated.

 

I agree with the first post on this thread regarding poor treatment of reps. Not all offices are like this, but many are. Heres the deal: the only value reps have to doctors these days is that they provide food for their staff. This keeps the staff happy, and doesn’t cost the doctors a dime. Now, thirty years ago, things were different. Docs looked to reps to provide valuable info. Managed care has changed the whole landscape of healthcare. Doctors are incentivized to write generics. They are not that interested in the pricey, brand-new, extremely expensive medication that requires a prior authorization. Prior auths take time, and time is money. Just like the pharmaceutical company you work for, doctors are mainly interested in the bottom line. So just hold your head high, do the best you can given the circumstances, and don’t let the snarky office staff get you down. Also, if you are female, dress professionally and not like a street walker. Lose the low cut tops and 5 inch heels. The mainly female office staff HATE reps who dress like this.