Confessions of a Pill Pusher

No, this is not another “tell-all” book by a secretly disguised U.S. sales representative. Instead, “Confessions of a Pill Pusher” is the latest juicy headline comes from our friends Down Under, where “Carol Nader and Melissa Fyfe examine the selling tactics of pharmaceutical representatives.”

My U.S.-based pharmaceutical industry colleagues can probably see some similarities between this story and some of the past media sensations. The scene starts with a team building exercise with more of a glamorous undertone than a serious, educational overtone (but who says learning shouldn’t be fun?), complete with a confidential insider who has decided to tell things like it is.

Some of the concerns sound familiar too – spinning the product message, minimizing side effects of a drug when communicating with doctors, a parade of beautiful spokesperson dressed up in suits fitting of a pharmaceutical sales representative – and examples of egregious, aggressive behaviors to get facetime with a doctor had one representative donning on scrubs and barging into the operating room to see a doctor.

Interspersed in sensation is the general disclaimer that most reps are quite ethical and that reps can provide useful product information. I have a feeling the general public isn’t taking this general disclaimer to heart when continually exposed with more sensational choices within the same article.

Pop psychology speaks to encouraging behaviors we want to enforce and rewarding desired behaviors. Perhaps we can start by featuring commendable drug representatives in the industry, and write about what they do right, and how they do it.