What is a drug rep?

Answer 1

A drug rep, professionally called a pharmaceutical sales representative, is a "representative" of the prescription drug making company he or she is employed by. Their primary responsibility is to present all pertinent information to a physician with the hope that the physician will prescribe the drug over others with similar indications.
However, this results in a very cut-throat profession, as many reps will compete for time with a physician, as well as trying to downplay all other pharmaceuticals and promoting his or her own drug by whatever means legally possible. This will often entail bad-mouthing other companies or mentioning political issues (study results, "hidden" agendas occurring within the company) to the physician.
Many reps receive bonuses based on how well their assigned drug is being used in the territory he or she covers, and this results in all possible methods being used to get physicians to write the drug marketed. However, some reps are assigned to drugs that are involved in a lawsuit, resulting in no prescriptions being written and the rep's income potential being tremendously diminished.
This is a highly sought after profession due to the "glory days" of old, where reps were given company cars, lavish spending accounts, time spent at ball games and beaches hyping their product to a good friend/physician, and little accountability for their product quantities. PDMA regulations kicked in and suddenly the spending accounts are very limited, no more gifts are allowed to physicians, and most reps have their product quantities audited one or more times per year. The glamour is there but it has become very difficult to enter the profession unless you have an "inside source" that can get you in.

Answer 2

A Drug Representative is a highly-sought-after sales position for college graduates who have degrees in marketing/sales, science and some chemistry knowledge. A Drug Rep is hired by one pharmaceutical company and that is who he/she represents.
The rep does a lot of travel ling and sees doctors, by appointment, to present new medications (explaining how they work) and also re-enforcing knowledge about already-existing medications.
Much of the time, a rep will give free samples (lots of them) to a doctor so that the doctor can use them on patients to test results. This is not actually experimental, because the drugs are approved by the FDA already.
Reps give lots of gifts (bribes....lol) to the doctors, like pens, notepads, mouse pads, and other items that are good advertising tools.
There are very few jobs which pay more in sales for a new college grad than a Drug Rep.
Have a great day !

Answer 3

Hmm, some harsh & unfair answers here.
Drug reps are indeed employed by pharmaceutical companies to promote several products within a portfolio that compnay holds the patent for.
In an ideal world, the rep explains the physical properties of the product to the customer (Dr, pharmacist, nurse) & explains which patient type would be best suited, etc. After all. the customers are an intelligent bunch so surely they can make their own minds up. Don't forget there are competitor products & reps out there, so generally there exists a balance.
Its an industry that gets some stinking press. Consider the fact that the pahrmaceutical industry is responsible for millions worth of assistance with research, very considerable amounts of education for health care professionals & is an industry heavily regulated in all Western markets.
It is well paid, so demand is high. Many reps are science or business graduates, sometimes nurses or pharmacists themselves. Many have postgraduate degrees.
Consider if you were a cancer patient - would you or would you not want your oncologist to be aware of every bit of research so you would get the best? Thought so - reps are one of the shortcuts to best level awareness for a lot of docs.

Answer 4

A drug rep is a person hired by the drug companies to go around to local doctors to give them information about a new drug that the doctors should prescribe. The rep also gives doctors gifts and free samples, invites them to conferences, and, if they are powerful decision-makers in hospital settings, offers them trips, speaking fees and other bribes.

There is one drug rep for every two doctors in America.

Answer 5

A drug rep is a pharmaceutical salesman who goes out to the hospitals and doctor's offices for his company giving out lots of samples.

Answer 6

A Drug Representative is a person who represents a drug company. They go to doctors' offices and try to convince the doctor to prescribe the drug ...and they used to offer incentives to the doctors, but that's illegal now (for good reason) The provide a lot of samples and brochures for the doctors to hand out, in hopes that people will want and use their drug ...that they're pushing :)

Answer 7

I was a drug rep for five years and I still couldn't tell you what I was.

Answer 8

A person who works for a pharmaceutical company and visits doctor's offices, hospitals, and other health care clinics to get them to prescribe their new drugs. They spend a ton on marketing, give away free pens, computer mouse pads, etc, and take doctors and medical staff to lunch to promote the latest and greatest brand name drugs.

Answer 9

It's someone hired by a pharmaceutical company to visit hospitals, clinics doctors offices and conventions of health care providers to present the benefits of the company's drugs and other products to try too get them to buy them instead of similar products offered by other companies.

Answer 10

A drug representative is someone who promotes and sells drug related products to doctors beneficiary to his patients.