Shadowing Report 1
8am - 9.30am Card Drop Off
We were on the territory by 8am and during this time went to 6 different surgeries to drop off company cards in the hope to secure appointments with Doctors. Prior to going back to the surgeries the Representative called the Receptionists in order to find out how the Doctors were doing with time i.e. if they were running late. We returned to relevant surgeries to see Doctors at agreed times.
10.00am Dr. A
After arrival introductions were made and an agenda for the call was set out right away, as the Doctor was only able to spare half an hour for the meeting. The agenda for the call was laid out; they were discussing the company's new drug. The Medical Representative presented Dr. A with clinical data and demonstrated the drugs clinical superiority compared to competing drugs, whilst laying out the practicality of the drug. The Representative also pointed out that the drug would also help in achieving GP contract targets. Once this was agreed, there was a discussion about the drugs the surgery were currently using, and if they set up a formulary for their prescribing. They then moved on to discussing the commercial aspects of the drug and its financial benefits. The outcome was that the Doctor ordered a number of packs as part of an introductory offer. The Representative had seen Dr A once before. The call went well, and the Doctor was willing to give the drug a try, so all in all a successful meeting. The meeting was very well structured, it flowed very well, was very interactive, and the Representative managed to tailor the sell to meet the needs of the customer.
11.30am Practice Manager X
Mr X dealt with all the finances with regards to the surgery. The Representative started to discuss the financial implications of the drug with Mr X, giving him very top-line information i.e. the drug is very efficacious at a low dose therefore it costs less. The cost model was on the laptop to show how much they could save, and cost comparisons were done with other market leading drugs. Mr X was interested in the benefits of buying this drug and asked the Representative if he could come back to see one of the partners of the surgery to discuss the drug further. Although the Representative was unable to gain commitment from Mr X with regards to buying the drug it was still positive to see that he was asked to call again and hence given an opportunity to close the call.
1.30 Dr. B
The Doctor was given information about the drug previously, and the Representative was coming back to the practice to discuss the drug with her. Dr B was given a financial overview of what the Representative was talking about - this started to really sell the product. There was a detailed discussion about the safety of the drug. The Representative had a good relationship with the Doctor by which Dr B was willing to take the time and listen to him. Dr B ordered the maximum number of products and asked the Representative to come back and present details about the drug to the other partners in the surgery. This resulted in another call in very close proximity hence giving the Representative another opportunity to sit with the customer face-to-face.
2.15pm Dr C
After the initial introductions, the Doctor pointed out that he was running the afternoon surgery in a short while and hence the meeting would have to be quite short. Although the Representative was prepared for a long meeting he easily adapted to his new time constraints and went straight into giving the doctor all the top-line information about the drug, outlining its commercial benefits, and informing the doctor of the introductory offer. Dr C was reluctant to take the order because he needed some more time to evaluate the information and discuss it with some of his colleagues. Therefore due to the time limitations, we had to get another appointment with the Doctor to see him at a more convenient time.
3.00 – 4.00pm Pharmacy Visits
Meetings were spaced out in terms of time due to the massive area covered by the Representative. After these meetings we went to see some of the local Pharmacists to find out about the drug usage in the area i.e. was it increasing or was it static. This helped the Representative to see which areas were using the drugs and which areas were not so much. The remainder of the day was spent on administration.
Shadowing Report 2
8.30am Leave home to arrive on territory
9.00am Arrive, drop cards at practices. Used RPCs (e.g. computer bag) to arrange appointments to see GPs. Increase numbers of appointments by teaming up with colleagues and arranging lunch meetings. Took freebies and free samples. If GPs were unavailable made appointments to see them at a later date.
10.00am Meeting with GP to discuss PRODUCT. Used detail aids incorporating clinical data and key messages. Discussed effects PRODUCT may have on helping to meet patient % targets. (GP contract- quality of standards means GPs are given incentives to reach set targets.) Asked open ended questions, found out what drugs GP was already prescribing. Ultimate goal was to get GP to trial PRODUCT.
11.00am Meeting with Practice Nurse.
12.30pm Lunch meeting (provided sandwiches and drinks), 3 GPs and 2 Practice Nurses attended. Presentation on PRODUCT was given using detail aids. Discussed success of PRODUCT determined what drugs were currently being prescribed. Asked why particular drugs were being prescribed over others and found out what GPs were looking for from the drugs, i.e. increased compliance from patients, minimal side effects etc
2.00pm Follow up appointment with GP already prescribing PRODUCT. Discussed effects on patient treatment and any problems that needed to be rectified. Reiterated clinical data on PRODUCT to ensure GPs confidence in prescribing the drug to her patients.
4.00pm Visited Pharmacist attached to practice. Took freebies (pens and post-its.) Discussed how the drug was doing in the area, how frequently it was being prescribed and any issues that they had.
4.45pm Make phone calls to arrange appointments with GPs and Pharmacists over the course of the week. Liaise with colleagues about appointments and meetings for rest of the week. Head back home. Log calls and write up reports on meetings carried out throughout the day.
