Patient Care

Crime and Punishment: Enough for Corporate Wrongdoing?

By Dan Abshear Corporate crime should not be a new concept to many. However, it has evolved into more troubling ways- not only in regards to its severity, but the methods of deterrence now being implemented against corporations- involved in the health care industry in particular. So it may be becoming progressively worse for U.S. [...]

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Are Drug Reps Really Necessary?

By Dan Abshear One of the main functions of pharmaceutical representatives is to provide free samples to doctor’s offices presently instead of authentic persuasion, and these samples in themselves cost billions to the pharmaceutical industry. Arguably, samples are the most influential tool in influencing the prescribing habit of a health care provider. Let me be [...]

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Competencies for the Quintessential Pharmaceutical Sales Professional

Over the past three years as a columnist for Pharmaceutical Representative, I have written on many aspects of clinical selling aimed to help pharmaceutical sales reps establish meaningful dialog with their physician customers. In this column, I’d like to share a checklist critical for the quintessential clinical-sales professional. Clinical trials competency * Know what a [...]

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Individual Accountability and How Doctors Are Also Businessmen

Steve Woodruff brought to my attention an article that accuses drug reps of using “brainwashing” tactics to influence doctors, and that the pharma industry and the FDA are “victimizing” patients. This led to my comments on the reality of today’s healthcare environment, and how doctors are, in reality, as much in the role of businessmen [...]

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