Keeping an Eye on Pharma Sales Force Reductions

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ — Problems with physician access and abundant sales force coordination have led pharmaceutical companies to plan and prepare for potential sales force reductions, notes a study from pharmaceutical research firm Cutting Edge Information.

Increasing challenges in the US pharmaceutical market are affecting the more than 90,000 drug reps that call on doctors. As physician access difficulties increase, pharmaceutical executives consider reducing their sales force numbers to achieve the same results with fewer reps.

“Industry leading company, Wyeth, recently took small steps to reduce its sales force,” said David Richardson, senior research analyst at Cutting Edge Information. “Wyeth eliminated 30% of its sales force, citing the mirroring structure as a cause. Many companies surveyed in this report admitted to keeping a watchful eye on Wyeth’s progress and studying how sales force reductions would affect their companies.”

Mirrored sales structures, or pods, make up the majority of sales division structures. However, major issues in the pharmaceutical market are hindering this structure’s effectiveness, such as reduced access to physicians, competition among teammates, coordination and management problems, as well as attrition of sales reps who wish to hold more control of their destinies.

A high-level executive at GlaxoSmithKline suggested some companies may only be retaining large sales forces because other companies have them. Such companies may be waiting for a risk-taker to test the idea of reducing sales forces.

“Pharmaceutical Sales: Driving Access and Influencing Prescribers,” available now at http://www.pharmasalesmanagement.com/, features innovative practices from more than 30 large and small pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. It reveals the strategies and tactics these companies use to build top sales forces and drive revenues.

“Pharmaceutical Sales: Driving Access and Influencing Prescribers” showcases the following metrics and practices:

    – Budgets and headcounts of 19 of the top 30 pharmas    – Cost per general and specialty reps for both large and small pharmas    – Strategies for building and maintaining top sales forces    – Tactics for overcoming reduced physician access and optimizing time      earned with physicians   

To download a free summary of this 196-page report, please visit http://www.pharmasalesmanagement.com/. For more information on “Pharmaceutical Sales: Driving Access and Influencing Prescribers” or to learn about Cutting Edge Information research, please call Oveda Slade at 919-403-6583 or e-mail info@cuttingedgeinfo.com.

Cutting Edge Information

CONTACT: Oveda Slade of Cutting Edge Information, +1-919-403-6583 orinfo@cuttingedgeinfo.com

Web site: http://www.pharmasalesmanagement.com/http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/