The Reappearance Of The Trend Of Reporting In The Pharmaceutical Industry Forces The Profession Of Medical Representatives To Be Standardized

At the beginning of September, a number of hospitals in Anhui posted anonymous reporting letters. The letter directly pointed out that there were abnormal sales relations between doctors and medical representatives in some departments (surgery + internal medicine) of these hospitals, and there were sales problems with money. Subsequently, the people's Hospital of Linfen City in Shanxi Province also appeared the report letter.

Different from the past, this report is aimed at the hot drugs in the fields of cancer and other fields. On September 14, Bosia CEO Wang Li told reporters of the 21st century economic report that great changes have taken place in China's pharmaceutical market. Under the influence of volume purchase and other factors, the centralized purchase market of the first two batches of countries has shrunk greatly, which also deepens the competition in the fields of innovative drugs and tumor drugs. "Reports have never been stopped in the pharmaceutical industry. At this stage, under the" supervision "of market competitors, the compliance pressure of the whole industry is soaring."

As a matter of fact, as early as June 5, the National Health Commission and other nine departments released the "2020 work points for correcting unhealthy practices in the field of pharmaceutical purchase and sales and medical services" (hereinafter referred to as "key points") and stressed that before the end of the year, the national Health Commission should take the lead, and all member units should cooperate according to the division of responsibilities to standardize the channels of medical business cooperation and communication.

Recently, many places have also issued relevant notices. For example, on September 14, the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission issued two notices to rectify the unhealthy tendencies in the field of pharmaceutical purchase and sale and medical services.

"Under the superposition of multiple policies such as purchasing with quantity, tax verification and medical rectification, the traditional marketing mode of pharmaceutical enterprises is facing severe impact. Medical representatives on the front line also need to increase their awareness of compliance and safety. " Wang said.

The report has never been stopped in the pharmaceutical industry. At this stage, under the supervision of market competitors, the compliance pressure of the whole industry is soaring. People's vision

Frequent reports from pharmaceutical companies

Recently, a number of hospitals in Anhui Province posted anonymous letters. The products involved in the report are products from three well-known pharmaceutical companies in China, including narcotic drugs and tumor drugs. The amount of rebate given to doctors accounts for about 12% of the drug price, and lecture fees are paid to doctors in the name of meetings.

Subsequently, the people's Hospital of Linfen City in Shanxi Province also appeared the report letter.

In July, also in Anhui Province, a third grade a hospital in a city also posted a report letter, saying that the pharmacy department of the hospital violated the hospital's process and purchased the existing similar varieties of the hospital without passing the pharmacy Affairs Association, and there were problems in the purchase and sales link.

On July 20, a report letter was also posted at the gate of a hospital in Hebei Province. In addition to citing the specific rebate of some drugs, the letter also said that 70% of the drugs in the hospital had rebates, with the rebate ratio of about 20% - 40%.

Wang told reporters of the 21st century economic report that reporting is a "traditional skill", especially when bidding. "There are several kinds of reports, one of which is that there are indeed violations and reports from peers; the other is malicious reporting for bidding purposes."

"As long as there is competition, there is no way to avoid reporting." Wang pointed out that all kinds of reports are often staged, this time in the field of cancer.

It is understood that according to the report letter, all involved are several large tumor drugs and other heavy drugs. For example, the sales volume of amlotinib hydrochloride, which was approved to be listed in 2018, will be more than 2 billion yuan in 2019, and that of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate injection will exceed 1 billion yuan in 2019.

On September 14, a person in charge of the enterprise concerned told the reporter of the 21st century economic report that "we have preliminarily investigated that the above-mentioned report was done by individual competitors, and there is no further result so far."

A person in charge of a diagnostic reagent enterprise told the 21st century economic report that their enterprises were frequently reported by competitors during the bidding process last year. In the context of national competition and competition for generic drugs, both in terms of price and in terms of profits, will be further reduced.

"A lot of companies are taking advantage of this rule of the game. The state and local governments also encourage employees to report some illegal behaviors of enterprises and give them heavy rewards. " Wang said.

As a matter of fact, with regard to the improper behaviors in the pharmaceutical industry such as sales with gold, on June 5, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of public security and other nine departments issued the document "key points for rectifying unhealthy practices in the field of pharmaceutical purchase and sales and medical services" (hereinafter referred to as "key points") on June 5, stressing that they should seriously investigate and deal with the rebate behaviors of pharmaceutical consumables enterprises.

The "key points" division of labor table also requires that, before the end of the year, the National Health Commission should take the lead, and all member units should cooperate according to the division of responsibilities to standardize the channels of medical business cooperation and communication. To clarify the bottom line of behavior among industry associations, medical institutions and pharmaceutical related enterprises, and to formulate the code of conduct for medical personnel's external communication.

Health committees in many places also began to issue relevant rectification notices. For example, on September 14, in order to promote the implementation of the "nine prohibitions", "ten prohibitions" and the spirit of the "1 + 7" supporting documents for the rectification of pharmaceutical products rebate, the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission issued a special rectification policy related to the work style construction of the medical industry. The rectification period is from September to December 2020.

Shanghai Municipal Health Commission also pointed out that the clues should be reflected through letters and visits, reports and department cooperation, focusing on the inspection of employees (including doctors, nurses, medical technicians and administrative personnel) at all levels and types of medical institutions to take advantage of their positions to solicit or accept patients and their families in various names in medical activities (including introduction of admission, examination, treatment, operation, etc.) For the illegal act of giving "red envelope" gifts or seeking other illegitimate interests, corresponding punishment shall be given according to the seriousness of the case, and shall be notified in the whole industry.

Does the medical representative arrive early in the cold winter?

"Because the reports are all concrete facts and occur in the front line, the medical representatives are the object of direct reporting, and the relevant enterprises can only be verified according to the phenomenon. Before that, the nature of corporate bribery crime and individual bribery crime is different in law, so many enterprises, especially foreign enterprises, have set up a lot of firewalls, and the representatives on the front line of terminals are reported, and they are only identified as personal behavior in the end. " Wang said.

This wave of reports is actually related to the newly revised "Drug Administration Law" which has added regulations such as prohibition of trade bribery and the "sitting down" of enterprises that will be held responsible.

According to the guidance on the establishment of drug price and bidding credit evaluation system (Draft) issued by the State Medical Insurance Bureau, pharmaceutical enterprises promise to stop commercial bribery and market manipulation, and also promise to jointly bear the price and bidding credit punishment responsibility for the illegal behaviors such as commercial bribery and market manipulation implemented by entrusted service enterprises and agent enterprises for their own drugs 。

With the construction of professional ethics becoming more and more strict, a large number of presidents and directors have fallen behind. The frequent reports on bribery of medical representatives have also caused great pressure on hospitals. Combined with the epidemic situation, the top three hospitals in Hunan, Beijing, Guangzhou and other places have issued bans, even forbidding medical representatives and other enterprise personnel to enter the hospital, or stop taking drugs.

The 21st century economic reporter learned from many channels and some medical representative offices that many hospitals are interviewing medical representatives and holding honest meetings.

It is also understood that recently, the second people's Hospital of Changde City convened medical representatives from 15 drug suppliers to hold a special meeting on anti-corruption, further curbing the unhealthy trend in the field of pharmaceutical purchase and sales from the source, and regulating the marketing behavior of pharmaceutical suppliers and their pharmaceutical business personnel.

"In fact, many medical representatives are unable to carry out their normal work because of the" ban "imposed by the hospital. Some medical representatives do not want to violate the regulations, but they even have to advance money to maintain their duties behind their back." A representative of East China medicine told the 21st century economic reporter that many people have changed their careers.

As a matter of fact, regarding the responsibilities of medical representatives, the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) issued the measures for the administration of the record keeping of medical representatives (Trial) (Draft) two years ago, and it was issued again in June 2020 for comments. The core requirements have not been changed: the medical representative shall not undertake the task of drug sales, and the medical representative shall not carry out the work within the medical institution without filing Academic promotion and other related activities.

"Under the background of purchasing with quantity and reward for medical insurance balance, the rules of pharmaceutical marketing have been gradually changed. In the future, pharmaceutical representatives will return to their essence, no longer carry the sales task, and do pure academic promotion. Because many experts still need to understand the characteristics of the product, treatment plan, etc Beijing Dingchen medical management center in charge of Shi lichen pointed out.

Wang also believes that although medical representatives are now in a difficult period of transformation, this profession will not disappear. In the future, it is bound to be standardized and do clinical academic activities.