Backpage: Feet-on-the-Street Interview

The rep's job is getting tougher. That's the major takeaway from a recent survey of reps conducted by Epocrates. The company interviewed 300 randomly selected reps who had purchased at least one Epocrates product license certificate, asking them how their jobs had changed in the past three years. While many of the reps' answers are no surprise (more than 60 percent feel that the industry's reputation has decreased, for instance, and 60 percent feel that doctors are less friendly and open), in a few cases, there are interesting countertrends. So, while half of reps say physician concerns over company ethics have increased, 30 percent say there's been no change, and roughly 20 percent say physicians (who can they be?) have fewer concerns. And while half of reps say it's harder to get past the receptionist's desk, more than a quarter say it's easier. The survey pool included reps from 18 of the top 20 companies. Median territory size was 225 clinicians, with 47 percent reporting their territory size had increased.