Rikki Phoneysmile, my least favorite drug rep, came by. I went up to sign for samples.
Rikki: "Now... just tap next to the pill strength you'd like, and sign here..."
Dr. Grumpy: "Okay." (signs off, hands iPad back).
Rikki: "Thank you, doctor. I'd like to leave you with this booklet about Dioxnyl to review..."
Dr. Grumpy: "You've left it with me before. You've been handing it out for over a year."
Rikki: "No, it's a new one. We recently discovered an error in that booklet, and it's now been corrected."
Dr. Grumpy: "What was wrong?"
Rikki: "On the efficacy graph we had the drug vs. placebo curves switched. So it made it look like the placebo was more effective than the drug."
Pause
Dr. Grumpy: (giggling) "Your company has been using a booklet erroneously showing your drug was worthless for over a year and no one realized it until now?"
Rikki: "Um, yes. Have a nice day." (drops booklet on desk, leaves)
Mary: "Did you ever notice that?"
Dr. Grumpy: "Hell no. But it's nice to know nobody else reads them, either."
We don't give out samples at my office. I am SO happy we aren't allowed to meet with drug reps. But that doesn't stop them from trying. Lately it is the rep from the company that makes the talking epinephrine injector that is stalking me. She keeps dropping off piles of brochures which I dump in the garbage. What a waste of time and money.
ReplyDeletebut how do you know no one else reads them? maybe someone read it but was too lazy to point out the error?
ReplyDeleteDrugs the last American industry.
ReplyDeleteStreet or RX makes no matter. Those printing plants in China need the brochure business
Do you know, do you ABSOLUTELY have any idea what a trial it is to have to write with a plain black stick pen? I used to like those ones that were so 'heavy' with promo gizmo whingdingers (mini-lights, pinball games, miniature ear trumpets)that there was no need to apply any extra force to pushing them into the paper. And, now, we have to use those black stick pens 20 for $3.50 from the stationery sales bin. What a hardship, and what a callous I have on my writing finger.
ReplyDelete(By the way, we had so many of the freebies from the reps that we never really got around to seeing which product they advertised, unlike now, when the rarity of a (good) rep pen is a prize plum to acquire.
Anonymous @11:50, I have a pen that looks like a 5cc syringe. It's very realistic. Gave my cop husband a heart attack when he found it reaching into my purse. I have absolutely no clue what company it's from. But it's cool.
ReplyDeleteThe 5 mL syringe pen did not last long in our dept., but like you I have no idea which company it represented. Truly, the design of these pens gave some new college grad in advertising a reason to go into work each morning.
ReplyDelete