Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19866

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

New Rules Imminent for Spanish Reps
Scrip 1997 July 18; 2550:5

Abstract:

The Spanish national health institute, Insalud, and the industry association, Farmaindustria, are trying to reach a voluntary agreement on restricting the activities of pharmaceutical companies’ sales representatives in primary healthcare centres.

Insalud wants to introduce a new system of “group visits” (where a rep visits a group of health centre doctors), and to phase out individual visits over the next three years. To introduce the system gradually and allow companies time to prepare for its full implementation, it proposes that in the first year 40% of visits should be to groups and 60% individual, and in the second year visits will be 50:50.

In addition, Insalud wants to reduce the number of visits a company makes to each centre per year – to five in the first year and four subsequently. Only four companies would be able to visit each centre on any one day.

…samples limited

The proposed agreement, as drawn up by Insalud, also stipulates that free samples will be limited to 10 per doctor per product each year in the to years following a product’s launch. Reps must present doctors with full information on the product, including dosage, presentation, and if possible, the estimated cost of the treatment.

The move is not aimed at saving money but at limiting the disturbance rep’s visits cause to doctors, Insalud said. It added that it recognises the importance of the therapeutic information reps provide.

Insalud told Scrip that it wants to reach agreement with Farmaindustria on the new rules, rather than impose controls on industry, and that the two sides are trying to ensure no jobs are lost.

…Farmindustria view

Farmindustria says it is totally opposed to group visits, but is willing to accept a reduction in the number of visits companies make to each health centre annually. The association told Scrip that the two sides are likely to reach some sort of agreement after the summer break, after which copies of the new rules will be distributed to all concerned parties.