Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20012

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: Magazine

Robbins T
GPs tell reps how to sell their products
Australian Doctor 1996 Sep 624

Abstract:

A valuable source of information or an unwelcome intrusion on a busy day? Trevor Robbins reports on GP attitudes to the drug rep visit and the view from the industry.

Full text:

Some GPs simply won’t see pharmaceutical company representatives because of bad experiences.

And when doctors and reps meet, one of the biggest issues facing both is time, putting pressure on the rep to sell a product rather than focus on the needs of the doctor and the practice.

GPs had the opportunity to say what they thought about medical detailers during research conducted by Coopers & Lybrand Consultants for the Federal Government’s pharmaceutical health and national use of medicines health committee. The research was part of a study aiming to develop best practice guidelines for promotional/educational activities by the pharmaceutical industry.

The research shows that GPs believe specific product and disease knowledge enhance a rep’s credibility but many are not familiar with the MedREP training program. The GPs cite several “good practice” ways to access product information. They are company educational events with speakers organised by a third party, independent specialist-led workshops off-site and broad information on disease management rather than product-specific literature.

“Bad practice” examples cited include large, expensive dinners, excessive sampling, use of questionable studies to justify questionable claims, over-inflated product benefits and denigration of competitive products.

GPs believe the critical success factors for effective detailing by medical representatives are a professional relationship built on trust and the use of unbiased, accurate product literature.

The research also reveals differences in views held by city and country GPs about the value of the representative visit.

Because country GPs have less access to information sessions they value the interaction with the industry representative, who is often the first source of new information.

Country GPs see a role for the pharmaceutical industry in sponsoring satellite link-ups to educational events held in major centres.

GPs and the industry agree that training for medical representatives should be generic in nature, focusing on skills such as communication and critical appraisal, include information on the structure of the health care system and address issues affecting prescribers.

Busy Melbourne GP Dr Gerald Segal says he regards medical reps as professional colleagues. He sees four reps a week.

“I believe medical reps are very important to my practice, and I think most GPs would say that”, he says.

“We listen to what they have to say, listen to their opposition, then we go to GP meetings and put that all together and make an informed decision about what we prescribe.

“You hear the latest advances from them first”.

He says advertisements in the medical press are not the same as hearing the message direct from a medical rep.

Dr Segal believes the professionalism of reps has improved dramatically in the past five years, and it is obvious they are not getting a lot of training.

He sees medical reps as the most important first source of product information.

“The only thing that ever gripes me is when someone wants to detail more things than I’m prepared to listen to. They’ve detailed one or two products, but its obvious you’re busy. To do three will get your back up”.

Dr Segal believes the policy regarding sampling is not working and needs to be balanced.

“Samples are especially important after hours. I like to have one of every pill, because when I change medication I can take it out and show [the patient] what it looks like”.

He says medical reps with nursing, science and pharmacology degrees have a big advantage. He doesn’t expect them to know all about a particular disease but he does expect them to be fully informed in their particular area of therapeutics.

Honing the training

After a complete review of its MedREP training program for drug reps, the Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association will offer a revised course, starting next January.

The course will include more content on the APMA Code of Conduct and the pharmaceutical industry in Australia.

The APMA will offer certification for successful candidates. Its business and administration director, Fiona Woodard, says the course, which was initiated by the APMA 10 years ago, aims to train representatives to a recognised industry standard so they can provide health care professionals with accurate balanced information in an ethical manner.

All medical representatives of the association’s 52 member companies must begin the two-year correspondence course within 12 months of starting work.

The current course covers chemistry and bio chemistry, microbiology, immunology, principles of drug action, anatomy and physiology, adverse drug reactions, clinical pharmacology and therapeutics.

Glaxo Wellcome Australia’s sales director, Keith Jeffs, says that, as well as sound product knowledge, key ingredients needed to make a good medical representative are people skills and an ability to communicate effectively with the doctor.

He says industry research shows GPs expect company medical representatives to be punctual with appointments and have excellent product knowledge and present it credibly. And they need to have the maturity and flexibility to understand when a doctor is under pressure and unable to see the representative that day.