Even though women are an increasing proportion of doctors, it's still true that most physicians are men. And what better way for big pharma to influence those men than with hot young female pharmaceutical reps? And where better to find hot young female pharmaceutical reps than in cheerleading squads?
I therefore introduce to you the All-Pharma Cheerleading Squad!
(Hat tip to Kevin, MD and Pharmagossip, the latter of which frequently makes fun of big pharma's blatant recruiting of young, beautiful women to serve as reps.)
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Heh. "All-Pharma Cheeringleading Squad" also known as Pharmabunnies.
They keep us plain ones locked up in the R&D labs.
I was fired from the industry in my 40's. This usually starts in the late 30's for the female reps.
I noticed for the last 10 years or so that many male reps are ex-college jocks.
Heh. Now I understand all of the times I've seen a fine-looking young woman heading for the doctor's office the same time as I am, and while I'm trying to figure out a strategy to 'just happen' to end up sitting next to her in the waiting room, there go she and her sample case straight to the back ...
But, hey, pharmaceutical patents are necessary so that pharmaceutical companies can charge really high prices for their drugs thanks to a government-granted monopoly... because they need to spend the money on research & development. Without patents, there would be no new drugs! Don't question the pharmaceutical patents! Right? Right?
WTF?
What on earth does this have to do with the topic of this post?
Nobody from the Colts? The Indianapolis Colts? Indianapolis, the home of Eli Lilly and Company?
O tempora, o mores.
(Yes, I did read the caveat.)
fusilier
James 2:24
So when I see the long-legged, skirt-wearing, perfume-smelling, beautifully styled salesrep coming my way to sell me gels and an improved Q-PCR mix, I remind myself that some fat-assed MBA with a mercedes and a huge golf handicap hired her to get me to notice. But it's usually not until after I listen to her pitch and take the flyers that I feel guilty for taking the bait. I have to wonder about the evolution of salesreps - will there be a male-female team in 20 years coming into the lab with nothing but tight biker shorts and a pitch about their restriction enzymes?
Orac -- the reason it has to do with the topic of the post is that pharma money is not just going to R&D, it's also going to hire eye candy to try and push drugs for reasons entirely independent of the merits of the drugs.
(Sorry, thought that was obvious.)
-Rob
Yeah, I found out recently that an acquaintance of mine was a pharma rep for a few years after college, and I'm betting she was on a cheer squad sometime before then -- too damn perky and cute to have happened otherwise. :)
(She thought it was a fun job, too.)