Free Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey Page B

her words with care.
    "As a result of my husband's experiences as a physician, he tells me he
    has mentally divided the detail men who call on him into three
    groups-first, those who give him honest information about
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their companies' drugs, including adverse side effects; second, those who
    are uninformed and fail to advise him properly about the drugs they are
    promoting; and third, those who will tell him anything, even lie, to have
    him prescribe what they are selling.
    "I would like to say that the first of those three groups-the detail people
    who are informed and honest-is the largest, and that the other two are
    small. Unfortunately that isn't true. The second and third groups are far
    larger than the first. What it adds up to is that the quality of detailing,
    in terms of full and accurate information, is poor, and that applies to all
    companies in the pharmaceutical business, including ours."
    Celia could now see signs of consternation, not only among executives at
    the front, but back beyond them. Amid a series of groans someone called
    out, "Hey, what is this?"
    She had anticipated the reaction and accepted it as part of a calculated
    risk. As she continued, her voice was strong and clear.
    "I am sure you are asking yourself two questions. One: 'How does she know
    all that stuff, and can she prove itT The second: 'Why bring it up now, at
    a time when we're happy and cozy and don't want to hear unpleasant thingsT
    "
    Again a voice from the audience. "You're damn right we're asking!"
    "So you should!" Celia shot back. "And you're entitled to an answer, which
    I'll give."
    "Better make it good!"
    Something else Celia had gambled on today was that whatever the reaction to
    her speech, she would be allowed to finish. It seemed to be happening.
    Despite frowns of displeasure in the executive rows, no one was rising to
    use authority and cut her off.
    "One reason I know what I'm talking about," Celia declared, "is that I used
    to be a member of that second group-the uninformed. That's because, when I
    went out selling drugs to doctors, I was inadequately trained. In fact, I
    was scarcely trained at all. Concerning that, let me tell you a story."
    She described the encounter-which she had related to Andrew on their
    honeymoon-with the North Platte physician who had accused her of having
    "inadequate knowledge" and ordered her brusquely from his office. Celia
    told the story well and there was a return to silence as the audience
    listened. Here and there she saw nods and heard murmurs of agreement. Celia
    suspected that many in the hall had had similar bruising experiences.
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"The doctor was right," she continued. "I didn't have the knowledge to
    discuss drugs with highly qualified physicians, even though I should have
    been given it before I went out selling."
    She reached behind her to a table and held up a file.
    "I mentioned reports from doctors about false information given by detail
    people. In the nearly four years I have been selling for Felding-Roth I
    have kept a record of those reports, and it is here. Let me quote
    examples."
    Celia pulled a sheet from the file. "As you know, we have a prescription
    product called Pernaltone. It is an excellent drug in the treatment of
    hypertension and one of Felding-Roth's good sellers. But it should never
    be used by patients with rheumatic disease or diabetes. To do so is
    dangerous; warnings to that effect are in the literature. And yet . . .
    four doctors in New Jersey, two others in Nebraska, were assured by
    detail men from this company that Pernaltone was safe for all patients,
    including those with the diseases mentioned. I have the doctors' names
    if you wish to see them. Of course, those are just the doctors I know
    about. Obviously there are more, perhaps many more.
    "Two of those doctors I spoke of, who were given that misinformation,
    checked it out and found it to be in error. Two others accepted it in
    good faith and prescribed Pernaltone for