The Merck Salesman: A Modern Day MLK
The Merck Salesman: A Modern Day MLK
At the House Government Reform Committee’s hearing on Merck’s attempt to bury relevant safety data about its signature painkiller, Vioxx, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) read from a Merck training manual that directed instructors to play a recording of Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech and then say to the sales force: “King was someone with goal-focus — he kept getting shut down but kept going. . . Just as with a physician, you must keep repeating the compelling message and at some point, the physician will be ‘free at last’ when he or she prescribes the Merck drug, if that is most appropriate for the patient.”
Indeed, the remarkable correspondence between spearheading the Civil Rights movement in America and selling dangerous drugs to unusupecting arthritic consumers needs little elaboration. But it gets better. Also included in the documents made public Thursday was an excerpt from Merck’s 2002 booklet, “Champion Selling: Milestone Leader’s Guide,” which deals with the problem that some doctors might not have time to talk about a Merck product (for instance, maybe they’re attending to patients). The guide cautions that field staff need to understand, “it’s those defining moments that distinguish all champions.” For instance:
— Helen Keller could have felt sorry for herself when she went blind and deaf.
– Martin Luther King could have laid low when his home was firebombed.
– Tiger Woods could have avoided the pressure by not turning pro as young as he did.
– George Washington could have finished his years with a comfortable life without the challenges of taking on the presidency.
Wow…almost makes you want to go out and sell overpriced drugs that give people heart attacks to as many doctors as possible!
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Yes, the manual is pathetic, but…no more pathetic than the sales manual for any other company or product. They are ALL like that.
It’s this kind of simplistic thought, and elevation of commercial activities to the grandiose that seems to permeate the U.S. right now. In fact, my wife’s theory on the current state of America is that we have become a nation of salesmen.
May 6th, 2005 at 10:24 amthe question would be what are we selling?
May 6th, 2005 at 10:52 amMerck salesman a modern day MLK
May 6th, 2005 at 11:07 amThis just in from Judd at Think Progress At the House Government Reform Committee’s hearing on Merck’s attempt to bury relevant safety data about its signature painkiller, Vioxx, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) read from a Merck training manual that
I have a dream, when little white pills will be popped with little black pills…
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January 6th, 2006 at 8:59 pmhey, at least after borrowing from king to push drugs, they say “if appropriate for the patient? of course, if it is that appropriate for the patient, one would think that , as doctors,they would know that, and wouldnt need to be, as the manual tries to inspire, pushed and pushed and pushed.
this is closely related to a big problem in this country. i say big because after defense, more of the budget goes to medicare and medicaid than anything else (I think). or something close to that. so medical expenses play an enomrous role in the government, unfortunately. thus, this otherwise private idea that companies, for example, wine and dine physicians, who should be basing prescriptions soley upon approrpiateness, i.e, medical analysis (not to mention that is what we pay and expect from doctors), is a bit problemantic.
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