CoronaVirus...stop going into Medical offices!!!

Quite a few of us in California have stopped going into physician offices until this virus winds down. Not that we fear dying but becoming carriers and exposing our elderly family and friends. What is everyone doing in other parts of the country?

 

Suck it up snowflake !

 

State of emergency declared in NY. Many of us in the field are just emailing and phone calling until this blows over. Incubation period is up to two weeks! Don't spread it!

 

I’m washing my hands regularly. That’s it. California....smh

 

NY, NJ and CT have banned a lot of business and gov't workers (teachers, motor vehicles, etc.) are getting paid so pharma companies should do the right thing and the same if they were confirmed for their employees. That is a big "IF".

 

Is it possible for layoffs to happen? With April 17th as an extension, what happens if it gets further extended? I can’t possibly see the company paying for this many reps to stay at home. With layoffs happening in other industries patients will not refill meds dropping #’s. I can’t see anything good coming out of this as far as keeping us on board if things get extended.

 

I believe there will be layoffs. They are delusional if they think doctors will want to engage with us electronically. They are not going to pay multiple reps in each territory to sit at home. I don't think they will lay off everyone though. We will not be able to go into doctors' office until late June, at the earliest if that.

 

The sales force is too talented (I’m not in sales) to risk losing just because they may not be very productive for a few months. Leadership should have a long term mindset here, unfortunately they’re short term thinkers.

 

I have been in many industries incl pharma and I think the whole industry is overpaid & overpriced. Try reducing a lot of duplicate costs from HO down- this would be a good time to reduce everyone’s salary by 25% since they really aren’t doing much except complaining.

 

I would hope that our finance and sales analytical team review market share numbers post coronavirus outbreak and sales rep being told stay home. They will see that market share numbers were barely impacted and that sales representatives not calling on HCPs makes very little difference and any small market share decline is heavily offset by the elimination of a full time sales force. Now is the time to go contract sales force only.

 

When the stay at home is lifted, will doctors even let us back in offices?

 

Very likely there won't be access until Labor Day-earliest

 

After this is over it will take a tremendous time for anyone to want outsiders in their offices, clinics, etc. Forget any bonus for the rest of this year. NYC is closed down until July 1. Hopefully this virus will not come back in the Fall.

 

Excellent point. You can add ALL added value that can be done w/o representatives. This is the most over paid industry in America at the expense of Americans.

The right thing to do, as another posted pointed out, is to do a serious examination across the entire BIG Pharma sales teams and blink. Let the dominoes rightly fall to ultimately, bring drug prices in line rather than subsidize at again, the expense of your neighbors, your family and your friends.

 

So, you think if pharmaceutical sales forces, and all the associated expenses are dramatically reduced, and the pharmaceutical companies save Millions upon Millions of dollars they will just magnanimously pass the savings on to the patients, and insurance companies by precipitously reducing RX costs/co-pays, and everyone will join hands, and sing "Kunmbaya"?...That's the funniest postulation I've read in a long time...If this scenario were to play out, what would actually happen is the Pharma companies would see record profits; the Uber-Millionaire Pharma executives would "reward" themselves with huge bonuses, and they wouldn't drop RX prices a single, Red cent -because no one can make them...Oh, and then there would be an exponential increase in unemployment, and all the devastating macroeconomic volatility, and turmoil associated with such a rapid increase...So, how about we stop hating on the Pharmaceutical reps who are just trying to make a living?..

 

It’s not black and white. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. The sales model is outdated and wastes HCPs time and the job is quickly becoming that of a door-to-door sales person, -messaging is not selling. Digital information changed the way we bring value. -And when marketing leads sales instead of supporting sales, it’s over. Marketing depts have really ruined our value and turned us into fools

 

I have to agree with post #15. There’s zero chance prices are cut if sales costs were reduced. I’ve been with JNJ quite a while at a level I would consider “in the know”. Passing on savings just isn’t our style. JNJ is most definitely all about profit/stock price. We’re not really about patient care except to the extent we can make a ton of money. Sorry, this is the reality of the Company we work for.