Wall Street Journal (01/10/12) Rockoff, Jonathon D.
Pharmaceutical companies are changing the way that they market their products to physicians. Sales reps are being told by their companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lily and Merck, to move away from the aggressive, researched sales pitch and focus instead on being a resource that supports doctor's efforts with practical help. Many pharmaceutical companies have cut the number of sales reps they have and are grading sales rep performance on the physicians rating, not the number of prescriptions written because of their efforts. While some companies are still using the former tactics, drawing many complaints and a low opinion of the industry and its marketing, others, like Eli Lily, have changed their approach and focus more on customer service. Lily representatives in particular are noted as having become more attentive to issues and concerns that doctors bring up related to drugs, and help guide the physician into find the best alternative drug or the best management practice to control or eliminate the issue.

Read the complete article