Washington DC Sales Reps Must Follow These Rules
11 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // July 3rd, 2008 // 8:44 am
Earlier this year, the city became the first in the country to license sales reps, whose licenses can be revoked if their activities are deemed fraudulent. The bill was passed in hopes of enforcing good business practices on people who have undue influence over docs, and therefore patients.
Now, Washington DC’s health department has issued its proposed regulations in order to implement the SafeRx Amendment Act of 2008. For those wondering about the price tag - a license will cost $175 and the biennial renewal fee will be $165.
Here are a few highlights: Operating without a license may generate fines up to $10,000; reps must have graduated from an institution of higher education, although waivers may be granted for anyone who can prove they detailed for at least 12 months prior to March 2008; reps must adhere to a code of ethics, which prohibits gifts and harassing healthcare professionals; and reps participate in continuing ed classes to renew a license. Read it about here.
Hat tip to FDA Law blog
Mjaybee
Wow. Let’s kill any appetite for new diabetes drug development, then bureaucratize sales reps to death.
Good luck getting any new drugs out of pharma, morons.
Way to kill the industry.
Paul G
Another waste of government money, effort and resources. Since they are totally incompetent in addressing real issues like healthcare, gas prices, local welfare in DC, etc. etc. etc. they resort to these issues that pretend to do something but in reality do nothing.
Probably 99% of the industry already meets these requirements, so what will it change? Nothing
pharma PR hack
Mjaybee & Paul- I don’t think you understand the context at all here. This is the city council government we are talking about here. They handle zoning issues, garbage pick-up, school budgets and business licenses. They have nothing at all to do with drug development, gas prices etc. It isn’t like this is beneath their scope of work at all.
For them restricting pharma reps is on par or the same as deciding what level, if any, of taxation professionals pay in the district i.e. accountants, lawyers.
And as for the industry already meeting 99% of the requirements, that may be true but tucked in there is also the gift ban that as states pass, pharma attempts to overthrow under the auspices of free speech.
I think the ordinance is neither good or bad. And considering that the ordinance only covers the D.C. city limits; it is only groundbreaking in that it is the first legislation at a city level aimed at reps but doesn’t really physically cover a lot of ground!
Sam
If PHARMA and their reps have no ethics, then they must be regulated.
Also, how does regulating the activity of reps prevents new drug
development?
Mjaybee
@pharma PR hack
Why don’t they similarly regulate lobbyists, attorneys and physicians?
DC’s infrastructure and city services are decrepit and neglected. Why should anyone believe they can do a good job policing reps?
Margaret
Congratulations, Rep. Catania. I hope your regulation of Pharma reps spreads throughout the land. Step two could be banning the whole lot.
Dr. Sal Giorgianni
As to the DC government proposal, it adds nothing in terms of safety and is simply a governmental shakedown. There are no sales-reps out there in Big-PhARMA that do not have degrees (there may, by the way be some in the generics industry without such credentials). All employees of Big-PhARMA each must review and sign a written pledge to adhere to ethical standards of the AMA-PhARMA Code and executives must also review, and sign standards of governance, business ethics and regulatory code adherence. There is also substantial, formal and documented initial and ongoing training required at virtually all levels of industry on standards technical, business and ethical. Part of the policies for most companies I know of stipulate that lack of adherence can end in termination. There are indeed bad players, bad decisions and bad judgments. But these are far outweighed by good talented people who behave in a scientifically rigorous and moral way. The goal, I would think, is to minimize negative people and decisions not scourge an industry that provides a public good.
The DC law is demagoguery at its most mean-spiritedness. It adds nothing except administrative cost to government and industry. It brings revenue into a constantly in-the-red municipality.
Please remember all, that every cost increment to PhARMA gets passed on in pricing. So, additional meaningless politically expedient and financially motivated moves such as this one do nothing to help the plight of those who cannot afford medications. It simply adds useless cost.
One final point here before I must go and barbeque some steaks, “industry” is not a machine. It is not some soulless entity like a creature out of StarTreck. It is an organization made up of human beings. It would be appropriate to refrain from stereotyping all in industry as without ethics or the industry itself without ethics. To do so is simply unhelpful, shameful and baseless name calling. It does nothing to advance finding and weeding out problems.
Paul G
Just a waste of time, effort and resources.
Even if city council and Catania are empowered to regulate plumbers and electricians, here they are requiring what 99% of people already have and do — i.e. no change!
DougH
A number of hospitals / health care alliances are already requiring this. RepTrax in FL is one I’ve run in to. Many are stating that reps (both sales & med affairs) must have a TB test to go in to patient care areas (at cost) must pay for and take HIPAA and patient safety training @ their institution (at cost) and - at one institution - pay a “vendor tax” on all product sold to the hospital.
This will happen more, not less. Get ready!
Dave
Why don’t they put the same efforts into battling the insurance companies that put money between patients and doctor. Or why insurance companies wine-dine the legislature and physicians at corporate boxes at ball games?
Jacomoto
I dont even know what this is, but the cause your talking about must be pretty important because the other comments seem really, really mad!
SEE YA!