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PharmaVOICE - April 2008 Licensed to Sell By Robin Robinson The job of a sales rep working in the District of Columbia just got a little more difficult and a bit more confusing, thanks to The SafeRx Act, a bill passed by the District of Columbia Council in January and scheduled to become law in April. Starting this year, a sales rep working in the District will not be allowed to detail physicians unless he or she has a license from the D.C. Board of Pharmacy. To meet the requirements, a newly hired rep must hold at least a bachelor’s degree and then apply for a D.C. Board of Pharmacy license by paying a $250 fee and submitting a notarized acceptance of an industry code of ethics, which includes criteria such as participating in continuing education and not knowingly providing false information to physicians. Sales reps must renew their licenses regularly and continue to pursue further medical education. There is a grandfather clause for salespeople who already have at least one year on the job... Sidebars: Highlights of the SafeRx Act CMR study shows sales rep education is key to communicating with physicians Sound Bites From The Field Peter Lurie, M.D., MPH, Deputy Director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit citizen.org. Ed Silverman, editor of an industry blog called Pharmalot. For more information, visit pharmalot.com. One on one with Washington, D.C. Councilmember David Catania Experts on this Topic David Catania. Councilmember, Council of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Catania chairs the Committee on Health and serves on the Committees on Finance and Revenue and Parks, Recreation, and Libraries. For more information, visit davidcatania.com. Richard Cauchi. Health Program Director, National Conference of State Legislatures, Denver; NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the states, commonwealths, and territories. For more information, visit ncsl.org. Susan Dorfman. VP of Global Marketing, Skila, Morris Plains, N.J.; Skila develops knowledge-driven effectiveness solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, including key opinion leader management. For more information, visit skila.com. Mark DuVal. President, DuVal & Associates, Minneapolis; DuVal & Associates is a law firm focused on pharmaceutical, biotech, medical-device, and nutritional supplement companies. For more information, visit duvalfdalaw.com. Peter Pitts. President, Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, former FDA Associate Commissioner, and Senior VP, Health Affairs, Manning, Selvage & Lee, New York; Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization that seeks to foster debate and discussion on health issues by demonstrating how technological progress coupled with smart public policy will enhance and advance 21st-century health care. For more information, visit cmpi.org. Marjorie Powell. Senior Assistant General Counsel, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Washington, D.C.; PhRMA represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. For more information, visit phrma.org. Jeff Trewhitt. Senior Director for Communications and Public Affairs, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Washington, D.C.; PhRMA represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. For more information, visit phrma.org.
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