Oncologists Continue To Shun Sales Reps More Than Other Docs
For the second consecutive year, oncologists posed the biggest obstacle to sales reps - 65 percent of oncologists placed moderate-to-severe restrictions on visits from reps, compared with 58 percent of cardiologists and 47 percent of primary care physicians. Yet only 17 percent of oncologists were hard to reach back in 2008, according to ZS Associates, a market research firm that crunched sales call reports.
Why are oncologists more restrictive? Most likely, the barriers reflect a rising number of oncology reps as more drugmakers focus on developing cancer therapies and more doctors join institutions with restrictive policies, according to a statement from Ganesh Vedarajan, who heads the oncology and specialty therapeutics practice at ZS. He notes the average rep gets to see an oncologist seven or eight times a year (see our story from last year here).
The trend should not be surprising, though. In recent years, a growing number of academic institutions, hospitals and physician practices have taken various steps to limit interactions between sales reps and doctors in light of mounting concerns that industry contact and largesse can unduly influence medical research and practice (back stories here and here).
In general, access to physicians has declined over the past five years. In 2008, 23 percent of prescribers placed restrictions on reps and that climbed to 35 percent last year and 45 percent this year. Looked at another way, just 2 percent of primary care docs and 13 percent of specialists allow reps to visit more than 24 times a year.
Of course, there are distinctions to be made depending upon geographic region and specialty. New England, the Pacific Northwest, Minnesota and Wisconsin have “large pockets” of prescribers that significantly restrict access, ZS found. And specialties that remain “relatively open” to sales reps include dermatology, allergy and endocrinology.
However, ZS did not provide specific numbers, so we have asked for details and will update you accordingly. Meanwhile, we should note that ZS, which accessed a proprietary database that tracks sales call reports from more than 200 US sales teams and examines how often approximately 325,000 physicians and other prescribers meet with reps.
As for oncology reps, those with three or more drugs are able to successfully visit physicians an average of 10 times a year, but reps with just one or two drugs only see physicians an average of seven times a year. On average, a rep carrying three or more drugs is twice as likely to have access to even the most restrictive oncologists - 26 percent vs. 13 percent for reps carrying one or two drug. However, after six months, reps with a new drug are only able to call on oncologists 5 percent more frequently than reps not carrying a newly launch drug.
STORY ENDS HERE
Why are oncologists more restrictive? Most likely, the barriers reflect a rising number of oncology reps as more drugmakers focus on developing cancer therapies and more doctors join institutions with restrictive policies, according to a statement from Ganesh Vedarajan, who heads the oncology and specialty therapeutics practice at ZS. He notes the average rep gets to see an oncologist seven or eight times a year (see our story from last year here).
The trend should not be surprising, though. In recent years, a growing number of academic institutions, hospitals and physician practices have taken various steps to limit interactions between sales reps and doctors in light of mounting concerns that industry contact and largesse can unduly influence medical research and practice (back stories here and here).
In general, access to physicians has declined over the past five years. In 2008, 23 percent of prescribers placed restrictions on reps and that climbed to 35 percent last year and 45 percent this year. Looked at another way, just 2 percent of primary care docs and 13 percent of specialists allow reps to visit more than 24 times a year.
Of course, there are distinctions to be made depending upon geographic region and specialty. New England, the Pacific Northwest, Minnesota and Wisconsin have “large pockets” of prescribers that significantly restrict access, ZS found. And specialties that remain “relatively open” to sales reps include dermatology, allergy and endocrinology.
However, ZS did not provide specific numbers, so we have asked for details and will update you accordingly. Meanwhile, we should note that ZS, which accessed a proprietary database that tracks sales call reports from more than 200 US sales teams and examines how often approximately 325,000 physicians and other prescribers meet with reps.
As for oncology reps, those with three or more drugs are able to successfully visit physicians an average of 10 times a year, but reps with just one or two drugs only see physicians an average of seven times a year. On average, a rep carrying three or more drugs is twice as likely to have access to even the most restrictive oncologists - 26 percent vs. 13 percent for reps carrying one or two drug. However, after six months, reps with a new drug are only able to call on oncologists 5 percent more frequently than reps not carrying a newly launch drug.
STORY ENDS HERE
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