Docs Are Happy With Fewer Sales Reps
3 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // December 9th, 2008 // 1:29 pm
All those layoffs apparently aren’t upsetting physicians. Fifty-seven percent of doctors queried reported that the current number of sales reps calling on them was appropriate. That compares with 52 in 2006 and 50 percent four years ago, according to a survey of about 5,900 doctors across 16 specialties by SDI Health.
Moreover, 20 percent of the docs surveyed this year reported there were too many reps or more than necessary, and that’s down from 25 percent who were annoyed back in 2004. For those keeping track, there were 102,000 sales reps in the 2004-05 timeframe, but that fell to 99,000 in 2006 and 92,000 this year, according to SDI. And that latest number is likely to fall some more, yes?
Michael
Survey VPs at big Pharma companies and you’ll likely hear the same thing. Back in 2004, the industry had well exceeded the point of diminishing returns for sales reps. They had to keep up the numbers, though, because . . . well . . . everyone else was keeping up their numbers. Destructive competition has plagued pharma and, hopefully, this is a sign that destructive competition may be subsiding.
Doc
By 2010 there should be less than 75000 reps - still too many, but a start.
Kim
Getting the numbers down is a start but the real value will come in having educated intelligent representatives who can actually offer a benefit to the offices they call on. A good rep can provide new information, serve s a conduit for reporting AEs and be a connection point for what is going on in an givene therapeutic community. Isn’t it time to consider quality and the patients first.