Pfizer buys AstraZeneca: How many Pfizer people are also cut?

Once again a great opportunity for Pfizer to cut anyone they deem, "unproductive"!

White, male, high salary, plus the obligatory cuts to all groups to make the lay off "look" fair!

 

Perfect time to really screw people over and put them somewhere they don't want to be, like on the Eliquis team.

That thing is a DOG!!

 

Is this a done deal? i thought AZ rejected the offer....i dont think this deal is going to happen

 

They are just dancing the dance. It's probably happening.

 

For those of you that were around for the Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis consumption, please explain to the newbies how this AZ deal is going to go down!

 

The great majority of our KAMs, RBDs, and RMs are white males. By your logic, I guess they're all endangered, now?

 

I think that Pfizer should consider reducing management. Iyts amazing how many layers we have from the reps to Ian Reid. Just think about it, my Dm has a boss,regional mgr., who has a boss, sales director, who has a boss,Vp, who has a boss EVP, who has a boss, P, who has a boss Ian Reid. There may be some layers I missed but really do we need 6 layers to get Ian reid? This just for one division. Pfizer has so many divisions, its insane. These layers of management cost a fortune and are rewarded handsomely. I just don't get it!!!

 

Do you really think that the Pharma industry is any different from other industries. Talk to your friends who don't work in Pharma/healthcare. Do you think it's different there. Employees need to be supervised. The supervisors report to their bosses and so on. The further up the chain of command the less there are. Lets grow up. Some day soon you will be out of Pharma and realize it's not much different where you wind up from where you came from. If you think private industry is bad try civil service-that will be an eye opener for you. Don't like bosses????-start your own business and be the boss! Thats the only way you will get away from it. Or better yet wherever you go, get promoted and be the boss.

 

OK, show me similar levels in hospitals, health plans. Or to switch gears, investment banking houses. You and I both know that we don't need Regional Managers or KAMs.

 

I didn't know KAMs were management(if you're reporting to one something is wrong). In Hospitals you have RNs in charge of LPNs and other support staff. They RNs also have supervisors and I believe there is also Nursing Directors. As far as Health Plans what roles are you talking about-sales? I'm sure they have similar reporting structure albeit smaller because they don't have the bloated sales headcount that exist in Pharma. As far as Finance the wealth management people are like independent contractors. In the big houses they report to their branch manager. The branch managers report to higher ups and so on. Go ask a Merrill Lynch guy or UBS or Chase, etc. As far as not needing Regional Managers, that may be true once we all go to contract. SD's will probably be suffice. Then again at that point you don't have a job either. Be careful what you wish for.

 

The difference w pharma management and other industries are many:
In other industries, management have tasks ie. schedules, payroll, assigned tasks, budgeting, design etc. in pharma managers approve expense reports, annual reviews, conference calls and POA's (obviously more tasks but low value adding)
Do you REALLY think having 1 DM per 7-8 Reps is effective? Especially in Territories that include DSR and PHR? A manager in the same offices each week is effective? I personally do not think its effective and should change. The ratio of mgmt to rep should not be less than 1:12.

 

Deal is all but done. Pfizer will keep us as we are the best trained reps in the world and they know it. Look for salary increases , bonuses, and fun filled trips. I love this job and am so proud to be the elite of the elite. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

10 used to be the minimum/norm a few years ago. At Pfizer as a DM i had as many as 13 and as low as 7. A minimum of 10 and a maximum of 14 is the sweet spot. It also depends on geography. If a DM is in a very rural area ( a couple of states), too many reps can be difficult. Riding with someone more than once a month is taxing to the DM also. We aren't crazy about a lot of you either. It works both ways.

 

You missed the point. Of course there is a hierarchy in those industries, but they don't have as many layers of middle and upper management as we do. Jack Welsh saw something similar to what we have here when he took over a behemoth 20 years ago. Guess what he did with a few of the layers?

 

You are right, they should be supervised but in this company the DM's like to exert their authority and have their behinds kissed. It has nothing to do with supervision, its all about subservience. We need Dm's like we need a hole in the head.Its so amazing though because the DM's kiss the regional manager's behind and so forth. I guess if that's how a company likes to spend money so be it but someone should open their eyes and make some real changes. The industry has changed but the model remains the same.

 

Sounds like you have had some bad bosses. I'm not L- Pfizer and have quite a bit of tenure. I can honestly say most of my bosses ( at other company) have been pretty good. A couple of clowns, but pretty good at the DM level. RMs are a different story. On any job your boss makes or breaks you. Go to other CP boards and you can read similar horror stories. It makes you appreciate when you have a good one.

 

I totally agree with the above post. Some managers appreciate their people and acknowledge their contributions. Some are jealous, misinformed, etc. and make your work life stressful and difficult. Unfortunately, the few good ones who come around in the career come and go too quickly and the incompetent ones stay. Especially the ones wth the military backgrounds who bark out orders.

 

This is a serious. Everyone thinks all the AZ people will be cut, and quite a few will be, but Pfizer will use this opportunity to clean house of Pfizer people as well!

 

You can bank on it. Now will be a smart time to further thin the herd in anticipation of the LOE of Celebrex and Viagra. Think about it, in the last 5 years almost every top 10 Pharma has slashed their field forces by more than 50%. There are some real sales and management 'rock stars' out there that need a job. As painful as it would be to me and my family, I know that we could easily cut our field force by 33% and not miss a beat, sales-wise. My manager was a rep 20 years ago, and the territory she covered has 6 reps and an institutional rep!

 

AZ is no different. CV Specialty has four to five reps for every 7 to 10 accounts. That usually equals about five cities, tops. This does not count our primary care overlays. An example is my territory where we have 8 hospitals, two specialty reps, one hospital rep, one institutional and several primary care overlays, plus a nursing contract force. You are wondering maybe how many targets, aren't you? That would be 98 doctors that 6 of us call on with the same drug. How many drugs do we carry? Two. There are maybe 11 group practices and 3 independents. It is nuts. I love my job and my partners but you could cut us by 40 percent and get the same result.