He wanted to give me some coupons to hand out to our patients. This is all fine and dandy when the coupons are for medications that are actually useful. For example, a few of the coupons were for $15 off a prescription for Levaquin, a good antibiotic. No problem with that one.
The other coupons, though, were a different story. They were for $35 off an acid reflux drug called Aciphex. “This will lower your customers’ copays to about $15,” he told me. “The same as for any generic.”
Lines like this are pretty much standard when it comes to drug reps. Big Pharma realizes that most doctors don’t know how much most drugs actually cost. Furthermore, they also realize that most doctors believe that the majority of people only have $30-$50 copays for any brand name prescription. Knowing this, Big Pharma uses these coupons as another one of their manipulative tools, tricking doctors into believing that these small coupons will magically make overpriced, brand name drugs suddenly affordable. Of course, I don’t fall for these tactics.
“Here’s the problem,” I told him. “These pre-rehearsed lines you give to doctors to try to convince them that most people won’t pay very much for your drugs . . . they don’t work on me because I know what prescriptions actually cost.” Then I asked him, “Do you even know how much a month’s worth of Aciphex costs someone without insurance?” It was obvious he didn’t want to play my little game, but I pressed on. “Come on, how much?”
“Most people have insurance,” he told me. “And their copays are usually-“
“Over $170,” I interrupted him. “One month of this drug is $170. That’s over $2,000 a year. Do you know how much a year’s worth of omeprazole costs?” Omeprazole, the generic version of Prilosec, is in the same drug class as Aciphex. And it will work just as well for most people. I knew this would touch a nerve with him. Omeprazole is basically kryptonite to an Aciphex drug rep.
“I really wouldn’t know,” he said.
“Less than $300. For an entire year,” I said. “So don’t go trying to tell me that these coupons will save our patients money. If I’m concerned about saving our patients money, I’ll make sure they don’t take Aciphex to begin with.”
Have I mentioned I don’t like drug reps?
The other coupons, though, were a different story. They were for $35 off an acid reflux drug called Aciphex. “This will lower your customers’ copays to about $15,” he told me. “The same as for any generic.”
Lines like this are pretty much standard when it comes to drug reps. Big Pharma realizes that most doctors don’t know how much most drugs actually cost. Furthermore, they also realize that most doctors believe that the majority of people only have $30-$50 copays for any brand name prescription. Knowing this, Big Pharma uses these coupons as another one of their manipulative tools, tricking doctors into believing that these small coupons will magically make overpriced, brand name drugs suddenly affordable. Of course, I don’t fall for these tactics.
“Here’s the problem,” I told him. “These pre-rehearsed lines you give to doctors to try to convince them that most people won’t pay very much for your drugs . . . they don’t work on me because I know what prescriptions actually cost.” Then I asked him, “Do you even know how much a month’s worth of Aciphex costs someone without insurance?” It was obvious he didn’t want to play my little game, but I pressed on. “Come on, how much?”
“Most people have insurance,” he told me. “And their copays are usually-“
“Over $170,” I interrupted him. “One month of this drug is $170. That’s over $2,000 a year. Do you know how much a year’s worth of omeprazole costs?” Omeprazole, the generic version of Prilosec, is in the same drug class as Aciphex. And it will work just as well for most people. I knew this would touch a nerve with him. Omeprazole is basically kryptonite to an Aciphex drug rep.
“I really wouldn’t know,” he said.
“Less than $300. For an entire year,” I said. “So don’t go trying to tell me that these coupons will save our patients money. If I’m concerned about saving our patients money, I’ll make sure they don’t take Aciphex to begin with.”
Have I mentioned I don’t like drug reps?
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2 comments:
and i hate pharmacists who make over $100k+ a year out of school to count pills. it must be tough to relay all the safety information that pops up on your computer.
any reason you have to hate on people who have a job to do?
do you not push generics due to being incentivized and the pharmacy making bigger profit margins?
and how about the patients that DO have insurance... a $50 copay turns to a $15 copay with these coupons/rebates... guess what... a year's worth of aciphex only costs $180. that's a $120 savings from your over the counter prilosec that your pharmacy makes a huge profit on.
and no i'm not an aciphex rep... just a drug rep from a former life that gets pissed off at douchebags like yourself who think they're better than others.
Thanks for the comment Eric. You can read my response here:
http://blog.mrmedsaver.com/2009/01/help-weasels-are-attacking.html
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