The Best Drug You Ever Detailed?

Discussion in 'Ask Dr. Dave' started by DrDave, Apr 9, 2011 at 6:38 AM.

  1. DrDave

    DrDave Member

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    I posted this earlier but thought the previous thread title might not have caught much attention. Here is the original thread.

    I would also add - why was it the best?
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Best drug? Ramipril....Altace and the HOPE Trail:)
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Dr. Dave,

    I've sold tons of different drugs throughout my career with the same company. Each one presents its own joys and at times frustrations. I sold Coreg for years. Multiple bulletproof head to head trials demonstrating it's superiority versus active competitors. In my territory, it eventually lead some hospitals to enforce using Coreg when discharged for Post MI with LVD and Heart Failure due to it's superiority and regulatory issues that occur if a patient is readmitted within 30 days. Other than the evidence based platform for this drug, the joy was that it wasn't a medicine for allergies. Go to your sample closet and see how many meds are FDA approved to save lives AND have superior evidence versus active controls. I would imagine that it isn't very many.

    But another med that I had a blast talking to doctors about was Requip for RLS. Now let's be honest. RLS won't kill you. But how much training do doctors get in medical school on RLS? Not alot. If you look up insomnia in the PDR, it lists 3 major things to rule out before diagnosing insomnia. 2 of those 3 are household names. Anxiety is one. Another is sleep apnea. The third is RLS but very, very few doctors looked for it. When launching it, most docs didn't understand the disease state and many believed it was a pharma marketing tactic. In other words, we were creating a market that doesn't exist. I remember a lunch when I got that reply from a discerning physician. But when explaining it's prevalence and symptoms, a nurse chimed in with "I have that and so does my mother." In my hand was a study showing how it is often inherited. I left that lunch with a commitment that he would at least screen for it like he does anxiety and sleep apnea by asking a few more questions related to RLS. To his dismay, he started uncovering RLS and treating with Requip with good results. This is just one example but happened over and over again while educating docs on the disease state and appropriate treatment options.

    This was one of the more satisfying products to sell because I felt like I was bringing tons of value to physicians and patients. We turned alot of non-believers into docs who did a more thorough job of uncovering an additional underlying cause of insomnia.

    By the way, there was no way I could have gotten that doctor to commit to screening for RLS in a stand up sales call. So, lunches are important and necessary. Also, I do not and did not "detail" doctors. We just talk and have conversations.

    Be Good
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Viibryd, first new entry in 10 years! It's brought the fun back to my job.
     
  5. DrDave

    DrDave Member

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    Is Viibryd being marketed in primary care or just to psychiatry? I have not seen a rep carrying it yet. What do you like about promoting it (besides its being new)?
     
  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    PRILOSEC! Best drug I ever detailed. It was such a better product than H2's and when patients would see me in the waiting rooms many would comment on how Prilosec changed their lives and some would even hug me. Purple gold some of them would call it.

    Now that was a drug that was fun to detail!
     
  7. Wonka

    Wonka Active Member

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    I never detailed any of these, but great drugs and I take them.

    Metformin ER (1500 mg q.d.)
    OTC Niacin (1500 mg b.i.d.)
    Generic Norvasc (10 mg q.d.)
    Crestor (20 mg at bedtime)
    Krill Oil (500 mg b.i.d.)
     
  8. #8 DrDave, Jul 28, 2011 at 9:48 PM
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2011 at 2:45 PM
    DrDave

    DrDave Member

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    Wonka, why do you like Norvasc? Since we're on CP, I feel like I have to add that I ask with genuine curiosity and (as my signature states) respect.
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Selling Flomax to urologists was the best and funnest time of my career.
     
  10. Wonka

    Wonka Active Member

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    I do take other stuff, (diabetic), but the ones I listed I think are truly great drugs however there is one I left out that should have been on the list of what I thought are the best.

    Generic IR Adderall (30mg q.d. - t.i.d. as needed)

    Just to let my whole life out there, I also take:

    Benicar 20 mg q.d.
    Lantus 48U at 4 pm
    Novolog 1U per 6 carbs and 1U for every 18 mg/dl over 80 for correction.
     
  11. Wonka

    Wonka Active Member

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    Works to lower heart rate without causing ED.
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Biaxin and Biaxin XL - I kicked Zithromax every where I went and it made me RICH!!! Thanks Abbott for the money and memories
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Cialis! I know, I know, let the inuendos and sneers fly. The truth is the drug was great and a blast to sell. I worked the the biotech that created it, not Lilly, and the company was great with great people. We focused on one drug and called on my favorite specialty, urologists. I did not make the most money in my career there, but enjoyed my time more than any other company or drug.
     
  14. Wonka

    Wonka Active Member

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    There is another of my fav drugs I forgot to list. Thank you for your work on Cialis. I am very fond of 20mg of "Le Weekender".
     
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Believe it or not, Premarin. I loved selling the bundle of benefits of that drug, and I really sold it, even though it was the #1 drug. It was established, trusted and the gold standard. I felt a lot of pride selling it in the 90's and I enjoyed seeing women's lives improved. I loved the Drs I called on, the patient population, the company, everything..
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Corporate philosophy aside, Forest has great drugs to detail....

    Lexapro-a no brainer, works for almost everyone
    Namenda- a one of a kind drug. Do you not want to do everything you can to slow the progression of AD?
    Bystolic-yeah, it's the 17th beta blocker, but it's effective and patients love it. Arbs can't give the HR control Bystolic can and docs know their pts often need that
    Savella-Why wouldn't you give it a go? These patients have a ton of symptoms. Why wouldn't you do what you can? No, not every patient will respond, but if they do, you're a hero.
    Viibryd-duh! Less sexual side effects and weight gain.
    Daliresp- How many pts are getting the full benefit of their inhalers? doing whatbyouncan to prevent ONE exacerbation is a BIG deal.

    Go forest!
     
  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Best ever was Flector Patch. A topical NSAID that simply made sense, especially when patients didn't need the systemic absorption of an oral. It was fun to sell, especially against Voltaren Gel, and I had some great slogans that went along with the core messaging.

    Another one was Embeda - didn't stay on the maket long due to manufacturing issues, but another drug that simply made sense, if you got the chance to tell the whole story.

    Both made me mucho $$$, and my customers loved the products(and their patients did too!)
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Best drug I ever sold was Plavix after the CURE trial. Really fun, life altering for everyone involved. Changed an entire standard of care. Reps felt valued. Coumadin was OK but that was not really "selling" and more just pt management help, which really made the day go by quick sitting in Coumadin clinics pouring over charts of "difficult" pts. Those days went away with the new privacy laws.

    Best drug I've ever taken? Versed IV - makes going through minor surgical procedures/tests a breeze - nearly enjoyable. LOL
     
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Great question, especially coming from a Physician/Dr. Dave. It is great that a physician shows genuine interest in what we do. My father was a Physician (F.P.) and he never asked me half these questions...!

    I have been in Field Sales since 1989 with 2 Pharma/1 Biotech company, and have also sold a variety of medications. By far, the best drug I have ever detailed has been compounded pharmacy medications, more specifically I refer to Topical Compounded Pain Creams. The reasons are I am not scripted in how I can interact with the physician and can truly sell again to a physicians needs, which are great in the field of pain management. I am bringing something completely new to a physician, and am not selling to an indication but rather to a variety of inflammatory and neuropathic pain conditions where commercially available medications/procedures/surgeries are not adequate. These work in a completely new way, where you are able to combine 4-5 generic medications in one Cream (e.g. Diclofenac, Cyclobenzaprine, Gabapentin, Lidocaine, Baclofen say for Musculoskeletal pain or Ketamine, Amitryptilline and Lidocaine for Neuropathic Pain), and provide high tissue levels at the site of application which is usually site of injury and/or site of pain, while at the same time avoiding or greatly reducing any systemic absorption and thus avoid the first pass effect and greatly reduce or eliminate exposure of these drugs to end organs. Part of the interest I believe is the Doctor gets to decide exactly what components he/she thinks may be the best for the patient. There are so many patient profiles that physicians convey can benefit from this type of Topical therapy, and the scientific literature has demonstrated over the past 5-10 years that pain is sustained through peripheral mechanisms. Also, commercial insurers typically cover these medications as part of the pharmacy benefit and most of the billing and insurance haggles are done at the pharmacy level, therefor freeing up time for an MD and his staff. If a physician will take the time to discuss this option, they usually have patients in mind that they may feel will benefit. Plus, many patients don't want to take another pain pill, already take many medications and have side effects, and so on, so their willingness is usually very high as well.

    I have sold CII and CIII and NSAID pain medications, and I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical and would not have begun to work in this part of the industry unless I had friends and former colleagues who I trusted who were having success in other parts of the country. I was not sure patients would apply a Pain Creams a couple of times a day over time, or that physicians would be interested in something not from Big Pharma or that did not go through FDA Trials (we can only use FDA approved medications, but do not have to do trials in combination-this would defeat the whole purpose and legislation is set up as such) . Boy, was I wrong. Wrong in how many physicians and office staff have told me how much their paitents LOVE these Creams. Office Staff (many in pain practices are pain patients, believe it or not) who have been prescribed a Pain Cream and cried in front of me because it is the first thing that "has worked for me in years, and that I am able to tolerate"...

    There is a tremendous clinical unmet need for safe and efficacious treatment for (chronic) pain. The autonomy is great. Not being micromanaged by a manager, generally one who I know more than as a result of my experience. It is unfortunate, because nationally it is precisely these veteran reps who know products and disease states, and how to interact with a physician and that physicians enjoy seeing and will take a couple of minutes to speak with, that Big Biopharma wants to get rid of. Too much money. However, with the much greater autonomy has come an increased motivation and I am working harder than I have in years-there are mornings that I can wait to get out the door to make my first call. The income potential is much greater than with Biopharma.

    I am not sure what your experience has been with this type of therapy Dr. Dave, or if you have even thought about it or have been approached, but would be very curious as to your feedback specifically with Topical Combination Pain Creams.
     
  20. DrDave

    DrDave Member

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    Thanks for your post. I do think the topical pain creams have a niche. Certainly they are appealing alternatives to systemic therapy from a safety/side effect standpoint. I have had limited experience (one patient) with the products to which you refer because I only recently became aware of their availability. I suspect I will be getting more experience over the next several months.

    Glad your favorite drugs to detail are your current ones - I don't hear that very often these days from the veteran reps I see.