Zostavax is looking more like Lostavax in 2012

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Merck won't care about losing pediatric vaccines until GSK has a majority share. The current leadership is narrow minded.

Pentacil and Daptacel supply issues will now put Rotateq at risk now that GSK has an opportunity with Pediarix. The vaccine plot thickens.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Pentacil and Daptacel supply issues will now put Rotateq at risk now that GSK has an opportunity with Pediarix. The vaccine plot thickens.

Yet Todd and his DCO's can't figure out how defend and grow the portfolio in a way that makes sense. Do what you do best management, hire a consulting firm to do your job for you. You hired the Oz Principles folks since you can't motivate the salesforce. Maybe you can hire some old MVD management to bail you out since you lack the experience to manage vaccine sales too. Such a joke you people are!

Originally Posted by Anonymous

How exactly is Zostavax screwed up? Full supply? DTC campaign? Pharmacists can vaccinate in almost every state? Positive media coverage? Good reimbursement for 60+?

If the birth cohort was growing double digits every year, we could sit back and enjoy the ride with out PED products and customers who already know how to vaccinate. Unfortunately this is not our world in the US. We either figure out how to get adults vaccinated or we end up with a sales force half the current size (oh yeah, that's where we were 10 years ago!).

The sales objective is a nuts, but at least we will be indexed vs. the nation if we are below plan...i plan to be well above the nation, so my payout will be just fine.

Please keep "bitchin and moanin" about how hard it is and stay distracted all year - it will make my results that much better that yours :-)

MVD was never like this 10 years ago..people need to grow up!

It is not Zosta or what is positive with regards to the Merck initiatives. It is the historically low vaccination rates of adult medical professionals and the naive approach that this behavior can be changed overnight by Merck. Your simplistic view of the whole picture of adult vaccines explains why we are in the situation we are in.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Yet Todd and his DCO's can't figure out how defend and grow the portfolio in a way that makes sense. Do what you do best management, hire a consulting firm to do your job for you. You hired the Oz Principles folks since you can't motivate the salesforce. Maybe you can hire some old MVD management to bail you out since you lack the experience to manage vaccine sales too. Such a joke you people are!

So sad that there is 1 crisis after another. MVD thrived despite a few shortages over the years. MVID is a haven for twits and half-wits, nitwits, and just plain trash. Even sadder, is that these folks are the ones leading us into the iceberg at full steam ahead.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

So sad that there is 1 crisis after another. MVD thrived despite a few shortages over the years. MVID is a haven for twits and half-wits, nitwits, and just plain trash. Even sadder, is that these folks are the ones leading us into the iceberg at full steam ahead.

It is a tragic tale of mismanagement or rather no management at all. Just idiots taking over the asylum and getting rid of anyone who knew anything about vaccines. Zostavax is probably the biggest joke- it's been missing more than it has been here, and you cannot depend on a vaccine that requires freezing AND adult immunization. And that is when it is actually being produced. Duh!

Originally Posted by Anonymous

It is a tragic tale of mismanagement or rather no management at all. Just idiots taking over the asylum and getting rid of anyone who knew anything about vaccines. Zostavax is probably the biggest joke- it's been missing more than it has been here, and you cannot depend on a vaccine that requires freezing AND adult immunization. And that is when it is actually being produced. Duh!

Now management is starting to figure out vaccine reps are spread too thin in this multi-specialty role. Alina was in support of this model and it is failing like she did. Chris Haney may not have been in agreement with the decision of this model and moved back to tablet. Regardless, the more management keeps shuffling reps around, the more time we lose in front of customers and the more business we lose to competitors and frustrated customers.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

It is a tragic tale of mismanagement or rather no management at all. Just idiots taking over the asylum and getting rid of anyone who knew anything about vaccines. Zostavax is probably the biggest joke- it's been missing more than it has been here, and you cannot depend on a vaccine that requires freezing AND adult immunization. And that is when it is actually being produced. Duh!

AE supported the decision to go to multi-specialty and is failing like she did. Management finally realizes we are spread to thin. Don't be surprised about the next vaccine invasion with asthma reps.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

AE supported the decision to go to multi-specialty and is failing like she did. Management finally realizes we are spread to thin. Don't be surprised about the next vaccine invasion with asthma reps.

Guess that is on the schedule for August 1st.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

It is a tragic tale of mismanagement or rather no management at all. Just idiots taking over the asylum and getting rid of anyone who knew anything about vaccines. Zostavax is probably the biggest joke- it's been missing more than it has been here, and you cannot depend on a vaccine that requires freezing AND adult immunization. And that is when it is actually being produced. Duh!

Don't forget that when they decided to go multi specialty, they did not care about the relationships the reps built with customers over the years so they moved lots of people to different dirt. Now that the execs are desperate this year, it's all about the relationships and asking for favors but many of the reps still are getting to know customers. This proves the current leadership is insane and don't know what they are doing. You should have left things the way they were in 2010 and we would not be in this mess.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Yet Todd and his DCO's can't figure out how defend and grow the portfolio in a way that makes sense. Do what you do best management, hire a consulting firm to do your job for you. You hired the Oz Principles folks since you can't motivate the salesforce. Maybe you can hire some old MVD management to bail you out since you lack the experience to manage vaccine sales too. Such a joke you people are!

Get ready for pay cuts. Todd thinks the field makes too much money. What a great incentive plan our leadeship has for us. Fear, intimidation and now pay cuts. Cut my pay and I will cut my production, it's just that simple.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Get ready for pay cuts. Todd thinks the field makes too much money. What a great incentive plan our leadeship has for us. Fear, intimidation and now pay cuts. Cut my pay and I will cut my production, it's just that simple.

More reps/MGAMs and less management/DCOs! We are top heavy with people who do not generate income for Merck. I am tired of exec meetings where we waste our time justifying our jobs with mundane work. I would entertain a MGAM position with a focus on vaccines.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

AE supported the decision to go to multi-specialty and is failing like she did. Management finally realizes we are spread to thin. Don't be surprised about the next vaccine invasion with asthma reps.

Oh please spread too thin! Who r u calling on non vaccinators?

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Oh please spread too thin! Who r u calling on non vaccinators?

Yes, I'm being forced to call on non vaccinators also known as internal medicine and family practioners. I make more money calling on pediatricians who will actually let you talk to them, let you do lunches and are willing to vaccinate but our DCO's want us to focus solely on those primary care docs that don't want to see you, make you book lunches 3 months out and will only by Zostavax 10 doses or less at a time.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Oh please spread too thin! Who r u calling on non vaccinators?

Yes, spread to thin! 13 products, contracts, multiple customer types and conflicting priorites that pulls the field in multiple directions. It is very difficult to coach around obstacles that CAN'T be overcome.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Yes, I'm being forced to call on non vaccinators also known as internal medicine and family practioners. I make more money calling on pediatricians who will actually let you talk to them, let you do lunches and are willing to vaccinate but our DCO's want us to focus solely on those primary care docs that don't want to see you, make you book lunches 3 months out and will only by Zostavax 10 doses or less at a time.

The job of selling ped vaccines to pediatricians is idiot work. The value of that position is about $55,000 annually. Changing the habits of Im and FP docs is why we get the big money. If Merck decides that it can't be done, then there is no reason to have such an expensive sales force. You get paid to do hard things. Man-up or make room for someone else.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

The job of selling ped vaccines to pediatricians is idiot work. The value of that position is about $55,000 annually. Changing the habits of Im and FP docs is why we get the big money. If Merck decides that it can't be done, then there is no reason to have such an expensive sales force. You get paid to do hard things. Man-up or make room for someone else.

The Primary Care Sales reps had 5 years to change it and they didn't D!CK!

Originally Posted by Anonymous

The Primary Care Sales reps had 5 years to change it and they didn't D!CK!

Correct! Remember, we were almost always on backorder, and when it wasn't on backorder and we fully promoted the vaccine (including a branded print ad), we had amazing trends!!

Not a lot of changing of behavior going on in PED offices - they are vaccinators and they want to see us..life is good. PCPs don't vaccinate and they are really hard to see. If we can't turn them in to vaccinators we end up back where we were 10 years ago - a PED sales force of ~200 reps. The math on this is not hard...

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Don't forget that when they decided to go multi specialty, they did not care about the relationships the reps built with customers over the years so they moved lots of people to different dirt. Now that the execs are desperate this year, it's all about the relationships and asking for favors but many of the reps still are getting to know customers. This proves the current leadership is insane and don't know what they are doing. You should have left things the way they were in 2010 and we would not be in this mess.

Duh! Tablet people telling vaccine people how to sell vaccines. Funny joke that is still going on 6 years later.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

The job of selling ped vaccines to pediatricians is idiot work. The value of that position is about $55,000 annually. Changing the habits of Im and FP docs is why we get the big money. If Merck decides that it can't be done, then there is no reason to have such an expensive sales force. You get paid to do hard things. Man-up or make room for someone else.

So a couple billion in pediatric vaccines is idiot work? Wow, Merck actually hired you? I shouldn't be surprised because Merck hired over confident idiots like you in MVID as DCO's and now the field is in a state of chaotic panic with no clear direction for effectively selling ALL of our vaccines.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

So a couple billion in pediatric vaccines is idiot work? Wow, Merck actually hired you? I shouldn't be surprised because Merck hired over confident idiots like you in MVID as DCO's and now the field is in a state of chaotic panic with no clear direction for effectively selling ALL of our vaccines.

How many reps do you think Merck needs to sell the ped vaccines. If you exclude Gardasil, not one of the ped vaccines is a growth product. Merck grossed almost 50 billlion last year. Wall Street says that you must grow or die. Which of the peds vaccines, excluding Gardasil will help achieve that growth.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

How many reps do you think Merck needs to sell the ped vaccines. If you exclude Gardasil, not one of the ped vaccines is a growth product. Merck grossed almost 50 billlion last year. Wall Street says that you must grow or die. Which of the peds vaccines, excluding Gardasil will help achieve that growth.

If we were managed properly with a mix of people who have actual vaccine sales experience and long term business planning experience, we could work with the current size we have and align them according to primary care, pediatric with some overlap on hospital and IHS. The problem is this division is full of conniving con artists who have no idea what they are doing from management down to reps.

The majority of the reps are under trained and are not selling the full portfolio where appropriate in pc and ped offices. The field is being led by a management team who does not grasp the total portfolio sales concept and who thought it was a great idea to shuffle the salesforce around so that reps could be strangers to customers at a time when Mother Merck needs good relationships to get sales quickly. People buy from people they like and trust. MVID leadership made sure those type of people didn't stay here and now they are going to reap what they sow. Get ready for the fireworks.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Yes, I'm being forced to call on non vaccinators also known as internal medicine and family practioners. I make more money calling on pediatricians who will actually let you talk to them, let you do lunches and are willing to vaccinate but our DCO's want us to focus solely on those primary care docs that don't want to see you, make you book lunches 3 months out and will only by Zostavax 10 doses or less at a time.

Me too, however if they don't believe in the disease burden ....I walk away delete em and not worry about it....yes IMs and fp will drive ZOSTAVAX but don't go to a place where won't be happening this year .... We are still miss guided by our management at all levels....they haven't sold vaccines.....I know ur frustration.....

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Yet Todd and his DCO's can't figure out how defend and grow the portfolio in a way that makes sense. Do what you do best management, hire a consulting firm to do your job for you. You hired the Oz Principles folks since you can't motivate the salesforce. Maybe you can hire some old MVD management to bail you out since you lack the experience to manage vaccine sales too. Such a joke you people are!

Todd Nichols should not be completely blamed for the mess we are in. He didn't know how screwed up this division has become. Whoever hired him and kept the know nothing DCO's that AE hired should be terminated immediately. Todd may not be qualified but he didn't create the mess. It is also a shame Todd has to put his faith into that DCO team that never sold a vaccine in their life with the exception of one. A regime change may be coming soon.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Duh! Tablet people telling vaccine people how to sell vaccines. Funny joke that is still going on 6 years later.

The stooges bad decisions on strategy and alignment have come full circle. The blind are leading the blind off a cliff.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

If we were managed properly with a mix of people who have actual vaccine sales experience and long term business planning experience, we could work with the current size we have and align them according to primary care, pediatric with some overlap on hospital and IHS. The problem is this division is full of conniving con artists who have no idea what they are doing from management down to reps.

The majority of the reps are under trained and are not selling the full portfolio where appropriate in pc and ped offices. The field is being led by a management team who does not grasp the total portfolio sales concept and who thought it was a great idea to shuffle the salesforce around so that reps could be strangers to customers at a time when Mother Merck needs good relationships to get sales quickly. People buy from people they like and trust. MVID leadership made sure those type of people didn't stay here and now they are going to reap what they sow. Get ready for the fireworks.

As long as no MVD folks get taken down in the explosion. This sad joke has run its course. Enough already. Hire back MVD VSs who want to come back, but few probably would, even with new leadership as things are so complicated now, whereas it was so simple when vaccine people ran the vaccine division. Hard to believe when you look at this place now.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

More reps/MGAMs and less management/DCOs! We are top heavy with people who do not generate income for Merck. I am tired of exec meetings where we waste our time justifying our jobs with mundane work. I would entertain a MGAM position with a focus on vaccines.

There are a lot of CTL's that are chomping at the bit to find a MGAM's positions just to get away from their ill prepared and inexperienced DCO's.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

There are a lot of CTL's that are chomping at the bit to find a MGAM's positions just to get away from their ill prepared and inexperienced DCO's.

Thing will change for the vaccine division soon....pilots are in place in Texas and up north....

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Get ready for pay cuts. Todd thinks the field makes too much money. What a great incentive plan our leadeship has for us. Fear, intimidation and now pay cuts. Cut my pay and I will cut my production, it's just that simple.

Right on!

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Thing will change for the vaccine division soon....pilots are in place in Texas and up north....

Don't forget the possible invasio of the asthma reps in the fall when Singulair goes off patent. It will be interesting how this year ends.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Don't forget that when they decided to go multi specialty, they did not care about the relationships the reps built with customers over the years so they moved lots of people to different dirt. Now that the execs are desperate this year, it's all about the relationships and asking for favors but many of the reps still are getting to know customers. This proves the current leadership is insane and don't know what they are doing. You should have left things the way they were in 2010 and we would not be in this mess.

You can thank AE for that bone headed move. Well, I guess you can thank her in person because she is no longer year. Thank GOD!!!!

Originally Posted by Anonymous

So sad that there is 1 crisis after another. MVD thrived despite a few shortages over the years. MVID is a haven for twits and half-wits, nitwits, and just plain trash. Even sadder, is that these folks are the ones leading us into the iceberg at full steam ahead.

And these same folks that are guiding the ship are blaming us, the passengers, for slamming into the iceberg and berating us for not finding a way to save the ship they led into the iceberg in the first place!

Originally Posted by Anonymous

And these same folks that are guiding the ship are blaming us, the passengers, for slamming into the iceberg and berating us for not finding a way to save the ship they led into the iceberg in the first place!

This just demonstrates how mentally ill and ill equipped MVID management truly is.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Duh! Tablet people telling vaccine people how to sell vaccines. Funny joke that is still going on 6 years later.

Tablet management freaking out that their unrealistic sales strategies are failing to sell vaccines are even a better joke many of us have been laughing at for six years too.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Thing will change for the vaccine division soon....pilots are in place in Texas and up north....

...pilots are happening throughout the North Central region under the chirping chihuaha, RF. Sit RF, roll over RF, beg RF, good lap dog, here is your koolaid treat.

Why don't the dumb@ss directors just pull their own navigate data to see weeklys doses? The more time reps spend creating these stupid spreadsheets cutting and pasting data that is available to management is less time spent getting orders in the field. WTF? We are getting paid to wasted time and not sell.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Tablet management freaking out that their unrealistic sales strategies are failing to sell vaccines are even a better joke many of us have been laughing at for six years too.

Now they are making reps come up with "simple stories" and "wow" statements to convince customers to buy more Zostavax and GARDASIL. Really? Can this management team be any more melodramatic? Actually, they can because they are all a bunch of pansies with no backbone. Please let the adults sell why you whine over who Todd likes more.

Would someone please explain to me why we have this goofy "retired" fireman with an ear ring pitching the product on TV? Is he considered your perfect candidate for this vaccine?

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Would someone please explain to me why we have this goofy "retired" fireman with an ear ring pitching the product on TV? Is he considered your perfect candidate for this vaccine?

Yes he is perfect. First of all, Merck needed people who really had shingles, and he did. Second, the fact that he is a firefighter and he has an earring gives a sense of him being active and cool. Remember, the demographic for Zostavax is baby boomers.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Yes he is perfect. First of all, Merck needed people who really had shingles, and he did. Second, the fact that he is a firefighter and he has an earring gives a sense of him being active and cool. Remember, the demographic for Zostavax is baby boomers.

OH Please ....there r over a million to chose from....he is NOT cool? It was a marketing miss
...or can u EVEN believe our people miss...

Originally Posted by Anonymous

OH Please ....there r over a million to chose from....he is NOT cool? It was a marketing miss
...or can u EVEN believe our people miss...

I can't debate this with you. A multi-billion dollar global corporation with all the resources in the world, hired a top notch advertising firm. That firm did market research which included video taped reactions from the subjects who are the target demographic. He is a fireman. He has "rugged" good looks. He was chopping wood when he noticed his symptoms. Sixty year-old people will find the ad compelling. Merck has been making money for over a century. Sometimes, people know what they are doing. What do you know?

Originally Posted by Anonymous

I can't debate this with you. A multi-billion dollar global corporation with all the resources in the world, hired a top notch advertising firm. That firm did market research which included video taped reactions from the subjects who are the target demographic. He is a fireman. He has "rugged" good looks. He was chopping wood when he noticed his symptoms. Sixty year-old people will find the ad compelling. Merck has been making money for over a century. Sometimes, people know what they are doing. What do you know?

I do know we were a top tier company , when I started in the 80s.... I do know our stock price was over 90 - 10 plus years ago, and then slide to the 20s... And we are zooming back 37 to maybe 42 on an over sold market...I do know we are struggling with pharm, hospital, and I would even say vaccines with direction and structure....we have made marketing mistakes...have u hear of blockadin, prinivil vs vasotec, even zocor (more is better) if u can recall, We just see things from a different vantage... But that is fine... It is all good!

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Yes he is perfect. First of all, Merck needed people who really had shingles, and he did. Second, the fact that he is a firefighter and he has an earring gives a sense of him being active and cool. Remember, the demographic for Zostavax is baby boomers.

I am a baby boomer. Many of my friends are baby boomers and none look like this burned out old hippie pitching the product on TV.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

I can't debate this with you. A multi-billion dollar global corporation with all the resources in the world, hired a top notch advertising firm. That firm did market research which included video taped reactions from the subjects who are the target demographic. He is a fireman. He has "rugged" good looks. He was chopping wood when he noticed his symptoms. Sixty year-old people will find the ad compelling. Merck has been making money for over a century. Sometimes, people know what they are doing. What do you know?

We have screwed up many marketing campaigns, funded by Merck, "well researched" by "smart" marketing people and bombed big time. We simply moved on and found another agency with a new campaign to re-invent the product. I worked with some of those folks before too. Sometimes we are not as smart as you think. Merck has a history in coming up with campaigns with real-life patients which only East Coast folks can relate. Why? Merck is there and like many people in DC...they think they are the center of the country. Being in the Midwest we used to laugh as none of those patient profiles can be found locally at all.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

We have screwed up many marketing campaigns, funded by Merck, "well researched" by "smart" marketing people and bombed big time. We simply moved on and found another agency with a new campaign to re-invent the product. I worked with some of those folks before too. Sometimes we are not as smart as you think. Merck has a history in coming up with campaigns with real-life patients which only East Coast folks can relate. Why? Merck is there and like many people in DC...they think they are the center of the country. Being in the Midwest we used to laugh as none of those patient profiles can be found locally at all.

What you say is true. However, the people most qualified are to make the decisions are not communications majors crying on cafe pharma. For all of the bone-headed things that Merck does, it is a company with a $115 billion dollar market cap. Almost $50 billion dollars in revenue in 2011. Every analyst rates it a buy or a hold-no sells. Merck pays a 4.4% dividend. I am saying that we can criticize stuff at Merck without these silly assertions that you can run this thing better than the people who doing it. Try becoming a S2 before becoming the CEO of Merck.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

We have screwed up many marketing campaigns, funded by Merck, "well researched" by "smart" marketing people and bombed big time. We simply moved on and found another agency with a new campaign to re-invent the product. I worked with some of those folks before too. Sometimes we are not as smart as you think. Merck has a history in coming up with campaigns with real-life patients which only East Coast folks can relate. Why? Merck is there and like many people in DC...they think they are the center of the country. Being in the Midwest we used to laugh as none of those patient profiles can be found locally at all.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but most of the people (eligible population) live on the east and west coast and not in the "fly over states" of the Mid West. As for whether or not the fire fighter works, take a look at the trend break following the launch of the ads in early April. If HQ thought he would be enough, they probably would not have taped another 2 or 3 ads, in fact, the upbeat southern lady is on TV right now.

The reality is developing and launching ads like this can be a crap shoot- you test them with the target populations and go with the ones that test best - how they actually perform in the market can be very different than how they performed in market research testing. The good news is the early trend break is better than no trend break at all....time will tell if these work on the east or west coast. Even if they work phenomenally well in the Mid West, there are just not enough patients to make a dent in our performance.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

What you say is true. However, the people most qualified are to make the decisions are not communications majors crying on cafe pharma. For all of the bone-headed things that Merck does, it is a company with a $115 billion dollar market cap. Almost $50 billion dollars in revenue in 2011. Every analyst rates it a buy or a hold-no sells. Merck pays a 4.4% dividend. I am saying that we can criticize stuff at Merck without these silly assertions that you can run this thing better than the people who doing it. Try becoming a S2 before becoming the CEO of Merck.

Not saying I am smarter and I don't give a shit what is a S2. I just retired with a very good pension after 30 years. I will never have to work again. I have seen Merck gone from a Most Admired Tiered 1 Company to a Tiered 3 or 4 also-run me-too company. Merck is a big company but we have made many silly and wasted money on expensive marketing campaigns. If you have been around long enough you will know no company is infallible. We spent millions promoting a non-selective beta blocker (Blocadren) and funded studies when the entire world shifted to selective beta blockers. We must had 3 or 4 abrupt changes in marketing campaigns with Singulair when it was new which made it confusing to the customers. We had a product logo for a calcium channel blocker that was so feminine (the smart people at the ad agency said it was to convey gentleness and tolerability) that docs thought it was a birth control pill. The amazing thing is despite all these, Merck is still hanging on. Now I am going to fantasize that I am a S2. Whatever that silly title is. P.S. I probably own more Merck stocks than you and I am aware of the dividends.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Sorry to burst your bubble, but most of the people (eligible population) live on the east and west coast and not in the "fly over states" of the Mid West. As for whether or not the fire fighter works, take a look at the trend break following the launch of the ads in early April. If HQ thought he would be enough, they probably would not have taped another 2 or 3 ads, in fact, the upbeat southern lady is on TV right now.

The reality is developing and launching ads like this can be a crap shoot- you test them with the target populations and go with the ones that test best - how they actually perform in the market can be very different than how they performed in market research testing. The good news is the early trend break is better than no trend break at all....time will tell if these work on the east or west coast. Even if they work phenomenally well in the Mid West, there are just not enough patients to make a dent in our performance.

Sorry , but didnt like the ad either...the trend break couldn be from the sales people, it had to be the marketing AD. Wow u marketing people r good!

The amazing thing is despite all these, Merck is still hanging on. Now I am going to fantasize that I am a S2. Whatever that silly title is. P.S. I probably own more Merck stocks than you and I am aware of the dividends.[/quote]

Wow! Are you really crying about blocadren? I think docs understood singulair enough to write $5 billion worth. Listen, I am agreeing that Merck makes mistakes sometimes. I am also agreeing that this job is not what it used to be. The hard fact is that Merck is not just "hanging on" as you say. Merck is thriving as it transforms itself for the next century of global opportunities. Congrats on your retirement. I have to go out and make sure that I keep those dividends coming for you. Merck may not be a good place place for sales rep in the future, but Merck & co will be fine.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

The amazing thing is despite all these, Merck is still hanging on. Now I am going to fantasize that I am a S2. Whatever that silly title is. P.S. I probably own more Merck stocks than you and I am aware of the dividends.

Wow! Are you really crying about blocadren? I think docs understood singulair enough to write $5 billion worth. Listen, I am agreeing that Merck makes mistakes sometimes. I am also agreeing that this job is not what it used to be. The hard fact is that Merck is not just "hanging on" as you say. Merck is thriving as it transforms itself for the next century of global opportunities. Congrats on your retirement. I have to go out and make sure that I keep those dividends coming for you. Merck may not be a good place place for sales rep in the future, but Merck & co will be fine.[/quote]

May be you know more about Merck than I do. BTW, my Merck stock holding isn't that much. Dividends are better than nothing. I really should unload it to diversify a little bit. All the stock options earned are worthless. Go and ask a doc why he/she prescribes Singluair and you'll be surprised. Most have nothing to do with the science. Just may as well add it on and hope will improve the control. Singulair is one of those benign products that a physician will add onto the treatment. Merck may not disappear that soon but we are not doing that great for awhile either. Global opportunities are what every single drug company talking about. There will be winners and losers and Merck has not exactly been in the winning camp often lately.

May be you know more about Merck than I do. BTW, my Merck stock holding isn't that much. Dividends are better than nothing. I really should unload it to diversify a little bit. All the stock options earned are worthless. Go and ask a doc why he/she prescribes Singluair and you'll be surprised. Most have nothing to do with the science. Just may as well add it on and hope will improve the control. Singulair is one of those benign products that a physician will add onto the treatment. Merck may not disappear that soon but we are not doing that great for awhile either. Global opportunities are what every single drug company talking about. There will be winners and losers and Merck has not exactly been in the winning camp often lately.[/quote]

Good lord man, listen up! You are putting me in a very awkward position. I am defending a company that is going to fire me very soon. My point is simple. All of the complaints about how poorly we are being treated are fair game. But saying that the poor treatment is leading to the demise of Merck is not supported by the facts. Saying Singulair is a benign product is just silly. Singulair has grossed over $50 Billion US dollars since 1999.