Embarrassed to be in pharma

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Anonymous

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I do not admit to strangers that I am employeed by a drug company. Why? National and local news media have criticized drug ads which border on the unethical (if not illegal) several times lately. That is troubling enough in itself but most friends are more than fed up and disgusted by the 24/7 cheesy/sleezy "ED" ads blasting from TV with their "4 hour erection" warnings, esp parents who cannot watch TV without explaining what the above means. Many say they never watch TV with guests now.

When I began work in this field, it was an admired profession by health care professionals as well as the general public. After the sales and marketing hucksters took over from ethical management , the industry has gone down the tubes. Oh, the hiring of ex cheerleaders , car rental folks,etc, who can barely spell pharmaceutical, to promote the product has not helped the image either. Just last week a leading national talk show host was making jokes about the pharma cheerleaders.

I never thought when I was hired that I would ever be placed in the huckster category. Really sad.
 


Anonymous said:
I do not admit to strangers that I am employeed by a drug company. Why? National and local news media have criticized drug ads which border on the unethical (if not illegal) several times lately. That is troubling enough in itself but most friends are more than fed up and disgusted by the 24/7 cheesy/sleezy "ED" ads blasting from TV with their "4 hour erection" warnings, esp parents who cannot watch TV without explaining what the above means. Many say they never watch TV with guests now.

When I began work in this field, it was an admired profession by health care professionals as well as the general public. After the sales and marketing hucksters took over from ethical management , the industry has gone down the tubes. Oh, the hiring of ex cheerleaders , car rental folks,etc, who can barely spell pharmaceutical, to promote the product has not helped the image either. Just last week a leading national talk show host was making jokes about the pharma cheerleaders.

I never thought when I was hired that I would ever be placed in the huckster category. Really sad.
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Pharma is self destructing.
 


Been in this business 20+ years, and I have felt these drug ads are horrible. Any company that would drop the ads and say they were going to use the advertising cost savings to lower prices on some key drugs would get such incredible positive press it would be unbelievable. Unfortunately and sadly, none of the major companies will have the stones to do this.......if one finally does then all the others will follow suit and say "look at how great we are".
 


Anonymous said:
I do not admit to strangers that I am employeed by a drug company. Why? National and local news media have criticized drug ads which border on the unethical (if not illegal) several times lately. That is troubling enough in itself but most friends are more than fed up and disgusted by the 24/7 cheesy/sleezy "ED" ads blasting from TV with their "4 hour erection" warnings, esp parents who cannot watch TV without explaining what the above means. Many say they never watch TV with guests now.

When I began work in this field, it was an admired profession by health care professionals as well as the general public. After the sales and marketing hucksters took over from ethical management , the industry has gone down the tubes. Oh, the hiring of ex cheerleaders , car rental folks,etc, who can barely spell pharmaceutical, to promote the product has not helped the image either. Just last week a leading national talk show host was making jokes about the pharma cheerleaders.

I never thought when I was hired that I would ever be placed in the huckster category. Really sad.
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"fed up and disgusted by the 24/7 cheesy/sleezy "ED" ads blasting from TV "

Yes, Pfizer,Lilly, and Bayer should be really proud of themselves. They have one of the best huckster S & M teams around.
 




I dont blame you for being embarrased. I spent a short time at a contract pharma co. I recently went on an interview for a dental sales position. The manager was impressed with all my experience until he got to "the pharma thing" Anyone with any real sales exp. knows what a joke this job is. I was a headhunter prior to the pharma thing. He wanted to know why I left recruiting to do pharma. He basically told me that pharma reps were sample droppers. etc. Thank God I have other experience I feel bad for all you people who have never done anything else! Its tough explaing this assinied job to anyone who really knows sales. Yes its ten times easier than being a recruiter but it's a boring ass job.
 


There are worse things than being a pharma rep. Think about it. You are not selling beer, cigarettes, things to hurt people. Who cares what people think. If you are really trying to make a difference out there, are you really doing something wrong? Your perception is based upon what you want it to be. If you are ashamed, fine, change your line of work you will be better off..but there are a lot worse things that you can be doing.
 


Anonymous said:
There are worse things than being a pharma rep. Think about it. You are not selling beer, cigarettes, things to hurt people. Who cares what people think. If you are really trying to make a difference out there, are you really doing something wrong? Your perception is based upon what you want it to be. If you are ashamed, fine, change your line of work you will be better off..but there are a lot worse things that you can be doing.
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You got to be kidding me, right? Drugs don't hurt anyone? You live in a quite delusional pharma world.
 


Anonymous said:
There are worse things than being a pharma rep. Think about it. You are not selling beer, cigarettes, things to hurt people. Who cares what people think. If you are really trying to make a difference out there, are you really doing something wrong? Your perception is based upon what you want it to be. If you are ashamed, fine, change your line of work you will be better off..but there are a lot worse things that you can be doing.
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"You are not selling beer, cigarettes, things to hurt people. Who cares what people think."

You have to be kidding. Have you ever read how many people drugs kill per year? Have you ever heard a doc complain about patients coming in and demanding a drug they do not need because they saw some huckster ad on TV?
 


Doctors don't like the ads because then they have to stop and actually answer patient questions. There are times they have to act like they actually know anything about the products and why it is not right for the particular patient. As a consumer, I fully support DTP advertising.

There's a new allergy medicine out that doesn't make you sleepy? How would I know except for the ads? I've noted that I have severe seasonal allergies in my chart, but don't take anything for it because the old stuff knocked me out cold. Do you think my doc is going to read through my chart each time I come in for my yearly exam and will suggest the new med? No way, unless I complain again or suggest the med myself. Look, I understand docs are busier due to payers limiting payments, etc. But at the end of the day, I pay the doc to take care of me. It is my right and responsibility to be an informed consumer. I also respect if he suggests a different med or no med. But don't limit my sources of information and don't act like a consumer is insulting the doc by asking questions.

We know more about the cars we buy then the medicines we put in our bodies.
 


...so read the medical letter. it is unbiased not like Big Pharma. was at DC meeting of aCP last week. They touted benazepril/amolidipine combo (generic lotrel) "it takes a billion to develop a drug?!" but not to COMBINE and double the price!!
 


20 something years ago when I signed on, a friend of a friend had just declared bankruptcy as a Real Estate agent. I was happy to have this job

Two years ago, the same guy was making $300K to 400K per yr as a Real Estate agent. I thought this job sucked and wished I was an Real Estate agent.

Today, I'm happy to have this job and glad I'm not a Real Estate agent.

It's kind of like that story about the tortoise and the hare.
 
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Anonymous said:
I do not admit to strangers that I am employeed by a drug company. Why? National and local news media have criticized drug ads which border on the unethical (if not illegal) several times lately. That is troubling enough in itself but most friends are more than fed up and disgusted by the 24/7 cheesy/sleezy "ED" ads blasting from TV with their "4 hour erection" warnings, esp parents who cannot watch TV without explaining what the above means. Many say they never watch TV with guests now.

When I began work in this field, it was an admired profession by health care professionals as well as the general public. After the sales and marketing hucksters took over from ethical management , the industry has gone down the tubes. Oh, the hiring of ex cheerleaders , car rental folks,etc, who can barely spell pharmaceutical, to promote the product has not helped the image either. Just last week a leading national talk show host was making jokes about the pharma cheerleaders.

I never thought when I was hired that I would ever be placed in the huckster category. Really sad.
Click to expand...


Here is another reason to be embarrassed-an ex Ketchup salesman leads a drug company:

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/05...ike-selling-ketchup/?mod=WSJBlog?mod=yahoo_hs
 


Vagitarian said:
20 something years ago when I signed on, a friend of a friend had just declared bankruptcy as a Real Estate agent. I was happy to have this job

Two years ago, the same guy was making $300K to 400K per yr as a Real Estate agent. I thought this job sucked and wished I was an Real Estate agent.

Today, I'm happy to have this job and glad I'm not a Real Estate agent.

It's kind of like that story about the tortoise and the hare.
Click to expand...


Yeah, just think he made more in 5 years as a real estate agent than you will make in 15 years as a pharma rep.
 




Anonymous said:
I do not admit to strangers that I am employeed by a drug company. Why? National and local news media have criticized drug ads which border on the unethical (if not illegal) several times lately. That is troubling enough in itself but most friends are more than fed up and disgusted by the 24/7 cheesy/sleezy "ED" ads blasting from TV with their "4 hour erection" warnings, esp parents who cannot watch TV without explaining what the above means. Many say they never watch TV with guests now.

When I began work in this field, it was an admired profession by health care professionals as well as the general public. After the sales and marketing hucksters took over from ethical management , the industry has gone down the tubes. Oh, the hiring of ex cheerleaders , car rental folks,etc, who can barely spell pharmaceutical, to promote the product has not helped the image either. Just last week a leading national talk show host was making jokes about the pharma cheerleaders.

I never thought when I was hired that I would ever be placed in the huckster category. Really sad.
Click to expand...

Merck adds to embarrassment, but at least its not a sleazy ED ad:

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. has agreed to pay Connecticut $1.35 million for deceptive marketing of its former drug Vioxx and has agreed to federal oversight of television advertising for all its medications, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced Tuesday.

The payout to Connecticut is part of a $58 million settlement to be divided among 29 states and the District of Columbia.

”Merck's overly aggressive early ad campaign for Vioxx misled doctors and consumers, prompting heavy use before deadly side effects emerged,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “As a result, hundreds of thousands of consumers rushed to the drug before its dangers were fully understood, leaving them at increased risk of heart attack and stroke.”

”Aggressive marketing techniques, combined with deceptive use of scientific data, are not in patients' best interests,” added Jerry Farrell Jr., the state's consumer protection commissioner
 


Anonymous said:
Merck adds to embarrassment, but at least its not a sleazy ED ad:

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. has agreed to pay Connecticut $1.35 million for deceptive marketing of its former drug Vioxx and has agreed to federal oversight of television advertising for all its medications, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced Tuesday.

The payout to Connecticut is part of a $58 million settlement to be divided among 29 states and the District of Columbia.

”Merck's overly aggressive early ad campaign for Vioxx misled doctors and consumers, prompting heavy use before deadly side effects emerged,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “As a result, hundreds of thousands of consumers rushed to the drug before its dangers were fully understood, leaving them at increased risk of heart attack and stroke.”

”Aggressive marketing techniques, combined with deceptive use of scientific data, are not in patients' best interests,” added Jerry Farrell Jr., the state's consumer protection commissioner
Click to expand...

I was just in an office waiting room and the sleaze mongers from Pfizer were blasting their "Vivas Las Viagra' crap on the evening news. Everyone who was watching grabbed a mag and pretended to be reading. These low lifes have always been low lifed.
 


Anonymous said:
At least he has more training in healthcare than a rental car salesman (isn,t Ketchup a health food) lol,lol?
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what is wiyh the knock on rental car salesman. these people from rent a wreck have the same degrees as people in pharma. Also most of them had to have high enough gpa's as well or else they would have not gotten hired.

When people say pharmaceutical sales that is what this is "SALES" not R&D ...if it were R&D then I could see people ripping on rental car salesman.
 


SO, whats next after pharma sales...I am so over it and having a hard time getting out. I could even afford to take a pay cut. Any "success stories"??? Any ideas on whats next for us!!!!

and I agree, we are kind of the laughing stock...I feel like a cocktail waitress of pills. To think I have a science education!
 


If you can afford a pay cut then why is it so hard to get out? Find something that you have an interest in and go. Start a business if you have the stomach for it. No one can tell you what industry to go into because if you are not doing something you love (or at least like) you are going to end up as miserable as you are right now....
 



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