Pharmaceutical Executive's Beth Herskovits has just reported that tens of thousands of pharma sales reps across the country are suing their current and former employees for overtime and the equivalent of "time and a half. " $1 billion in settlements could be at stake.
The old days immortalized by Jamie Reidy are apparently over, with reps saying they are pressured to make 40-50 doctors office visits a week only to find they aren't welcome. Their calls are scripted and leave little room for independent decisionmaking, the article says. Although some companies like Merck are using virtual sales tools, the article says, time management has become a critical issue and investing in better customer relationship management tools and technologies might help, so that info on specific doctor's needs and preferences would be recorded and accessible. To read the article, click here.
