Novartis Samples Wilt In Sales Reps’ Garages
3 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // June 10th, 2007 // 9:04 am
Sales reps ride around with an awful lot of samples in their cars. And at the end of the day, those samples should be stored in “conditions that will maintain their stability, integrity, and effectiveness, (to) ensure that the drug samples are not contaminated, deteriorated, or otherwise adulterated,” says the Prescription Drug and Marketing Act.
Common sense, right? Get ‘em out of the trunk into a cool place. But some Novartis reps complain the drugmaker is allegedly willing to reimburse only $50 a month for storage, which doesn’t cover costs. So some supposedly admit to keeping them in the car overnight or the garage, according to the chatter on CafePharma, the web site where overheated sales reps love to vent. Here are some comments…
“I just keep mine in my garage…I know that we’re not supposed to, but my manager doesn’t care like yours! If FDA would do an inspection, we’d all be in trouble, because most people I know do…it’s just convenient. Why do you think that our annual inventories are done in March for the most part…not too hot…not too cold…just right!”
“I have a 10 x 10 air conditioned which I understand is required. I pay about 160 bucks a month, so I have effectively been taking a cut in pay…The reimbursement should depend on the going price in the geography, not on a flat-across the country rate. Just another example of Novartis trying to pretend they listen to their people.”
“Everyone I know keeps their samples in their garage. Even with $50, you’re probably going to have to pay extra like the above post, plus it is inconvenient. If they don’t care about PDMA violations, why should we? Hell, it’s only cardiovascular samples.”
“After receiving the HQ link stating that we’ll be getting back $50 for storage units, my manager says that we still have to obtain HIS approval. He says that he doesn’t care if we keep them in our garage…it saves the company $$$. Most of my podmates keep their samples in their garage, but I’ve always kept mine in a spare bedroom.”
“Where I’m at in Chicago, going rate for storage is $125 for 10X10 and $99 for 5X10. I have no garage and I’m not keeping them in my living room. My salary should be a third higher than an Indiana rep for simply cost of living then I wouldn’t need to be selling real estate on the side.”
Hat tip to Question Authority
Charles
ANOTHER NOVARTIS “REVELATION” FROM CAFE PHARMA:
“Samples need to be discontinued altogether! ship them directly from manufacturer! we keep them in our garages; overheated cars and my friend found BUGS in hers!! this isnt just novartis but all reps that sample; i drove by a drug reps house one time and they had all their samples in the garage door wide open and no cars around and no one home!”
detail man
you aare a victim of a troll — PDMA requires samples to be stored in climate controlled area - they inspect this — your blog rocks but you have been had
roccaas
No longer carry samples because of the headaches, but until about 2000 there were no restrictions from the MAJOR Pharma companies for whom I worked, excepting drugs that specifically had to be iced each day.
I calculated that at one time I had a storage facility with over $125,000 Retail of the #1 and #4 launched drugs in the nation at that time in sample packages.
They really cracked down after 2000, and I was inspected for A/C and heat on several occassions at the storage center, but I never took anything out of the car at the end of the day unless I needed the trunk for the weekend. I don’t recall specific instructions from any company to return samples to climate control at the end of the day (and I work in a very tropical climate!)
This is an issue that PhARMA should address, specifically direct ship with a “closed circle” from the MD’s request to the MD’s guarantee that the samples arrived in good shape. This won’t end the problem of FedEx or UPS leaving them in a hot truck/plane/loading dock, but a good clincial study could probably show that samples are much less effective in treating the disease than the pills picked up at the Pharmacy!