A drug rep stopped by my office this morning...big-time layoffs:

[Mend]

she said Novartis is cutting 1200 jobs and her company has fired one out of three...one of her fellow reps who has called on me for over ten years was fired on Friday. These were all "financial" republics who said back in 2000 "bush is my boy" and other nausea-inducing blather. Sadly, as they are really bright, pleasant people, if totally self-directed, they are now singing a different song. Honest to God she said, "how could we know bush would be so bad?" My head exploded as I told her they are all bad and out for the top 5% only, not working people. She asked me who to vote for and I said the Democratic nominee...whomever that is, just do it. She said she would.

[Taverner]

1. Republicans are bad for business

They talk the talk, but it's only Democrats who walk the walk.

Every economic upsurge in the 20th century was marked by a Democrat (with the exception of the 80's)

Every recession in the 20th century was marked by a Republican (with the exception of Carter)

You want an end to the current slump? Vote Clinton (or Obama or Edwards)

[redqueen]

2. It really chaps my hide that most people have to be personally hurt

by something, before they'll bother to think about it.

*sigh*

[Acadia Blue]

3. Their parents did not teach them to empathize. It is learned at home.

When mommy or daddy says " can you imagine how it feels to be so sad ect."

[Mend]

7. I agree....they clearly come from the hard work/do well school of "aren't I

wonderful and so would those other people be if they only acted like I did"...this is the first experience these people have had with adversity. I don't deny they all studied hard in college, got degrees, worked hard at their jobs, and lived seemingly good lives but they have no empathy for the real world where shit happens all the time to real people. I also know they didn't give a shit about the war in Iraq as long as their bonuses were rolling in.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

16. They usually have no clue how much they rely on the government

Schools, roads, police and fire, various public agencies ensuring their personal safety and that of their property. Oh, and the willingness of other young people to go fight wars for them so they can celebrate the increase in their energy portfolios.

[redqueen]

9. One more bullet point on my list

of reasons why people should have to get a license to breed. :7

[Nay]

21. Chaps my hide, too. It contributes to my feeling of "the hell with them

and the horse they rode in on." Too bad we all go down with the ship because of these thoughtless, selfish bastards.

[madokie]

4. That would be the easiest of easy questions for me to answer, who should I vote for

whenever I see someone who looks a little frustrated with the way things are going and if I smell elephant blood too, just out of the blue I tell them to vote democratic the next time they get a chance to vote or if they actually get another chance. The response's I get are varied but many seem to be so telling as to where their heart really lies, to those almost to a tee its religion and money and not necessarily in that order

[Acadia Blue]

13. You are right. I quit emailing a friend because she kept sending

me those mindless republican propaganda ditties to teach their base to be even more heartless and compassionless. They are usually about "welfare queens" and people skimming the system while they, the good republicans are working hard.
She asked me why I quit emailing and I finally told her. I just can't take it anymore. I feel like I need to say "lord forgive her for she knows now what she does."
I told her that I just can't handle what she supported in her name and the horrible things that her vote supported.

I can't stand any of them anymore. They are like monsters who have no hearts and have destroyed our wonderful country.

[blondeatlast]

5. I hate to see anyone lose their job, but the less drug reps, the better.

Drug reps are Rush Lombaughs on the behinds of the medical profession. It's the only career where outright drug pushing is not just legal, but encouraged.

:puke:

http://www.nofreelunch.org/

[Heidi]

11. How are drug reps any different than anyone else working for a living?

I'd really like to know. How are they different or less deserving of our compassion?

[Zywiec]

17. How do you feel about telemarketers?

I hope you didn't add your home number to the "do not call" list.

[Heidi]

18. Are you a doctor?

If you are, then all you have to do is let the pharma co know that you don't want any more visits under any circumstances.

As a matter of fact, I'm polite to telemarketers. We are on Switzerland's "do not call list" but that doesn't prevent the occasional call, as I'm sure you know.

[blondeatlast]

19. Where do I begin? They push their way past me as I sign in for my appointments

(I have several health problems), they are paid unGodly salaries (I know pharmacists who've gone to the dark side), they to a one (that I've seen) have NO regard for patients--THEIR time is too valuable--while I wait in my docs office for an hour (and yes, I've told every doctor I see, and there are several, how I feel about THAT).

Without the perks offered to docs for "educational conferences (in other words, golf vacations)" offered by the reps, drug prices might come down considerably.

Want to know more? Click on the "No Free Lunch" link in my post above.

I'm sorry, but I remember when there was little need for these people and the ones who did the job were largely pharmacists who simply educated the docs on how to prescibe the stuff. No perfectly coiffed, designer dud-sporting types then; back then, they would deign to talk to ME--a patient--for feedback. Those days are loooong gone; gone the way of no drug ads on TV.

Sigh, I guess I'm just nostalgic--and spitting angry because I know far more about the machinations of Big Pharma than I'd like to. One of my most crucial maintenance meds is no longer available as a generic because the damn BP corporation renewed their US patent by altering the formula just a smidge--enough to get a new patent. This is one of the most expensive drugs on the market, too--and there is no generic equivalent and no alternative med whatsoever.

This just happens to be a MAJOR, major sore point with me--and the attitudes of the reps I've encountered just adds insult to injury.

:mad:

[Heidi]

20. Complain to your doctor. He/she and the office manager decide who gets in.

If they're allowing sales reps to push you around, they're not giving you your money's worth. You're paying for that office call. The sales rep is not.

[Mend]

22. I have never gotten a vacation or anything else "big" in my long career...

There are speakers at dinners and they get three hours of my valuable time (for a meal I could easily pay for myself and be home watching tv instead) but I often learn something useful and share ideas with colleagues. They give me pens I could buy myself, the occasional coffee mug (I don't drink coffee), the odd box of cookies (I am on a diet). The only reason I see reps is that it is the only way I get samples of some very expensive medications and I am able to give them free to patients who need and can't afford them. I agree the old reps were real pharmacists and far more informative than the current crop of salesman.

[Acadia Blue]

14. Republicans deserve to lose their jobs after what they supported.

[Hersheygirl]

6. Oh for crying out loud,

"How could we know bush would be so bad." Da, all they had to do was look at how he ran the businesses he had right into the ground and the failure he at being a governor. When the only thing you do is listen to what the so-called media had to say and not do any critical thinking along with finding out the real facts on your own, this is what you wind up with. It's good I wasn't there, because I don't care hot bright and pleasant people are, I would have told them how really stupid that was.

I help out at my daughter and son-in-laws used car lot and you should hear how many questions people ask and the information they want about the car their looking at, yet many never ask a single question when it comes to electing the people that run this country. They just take it for granted their being told the truth.

[northzax]

10. Past executive experience is not always relevant

Or should we consider how Dennis Kucinich ran Cleveland into the ground when evaluating his candidacy?

[hootinholler]

15. Do tell.

I wasn't aware that Kucinich "ran Cleveland into the ground." I am aware of his refusal to privatize utilities.

-Hoot

[CountAllVotes]

8. what happened?

Did one of their faux drugs not make it on the market? That is what I have to say to Novartis! :mad:

Screw them btw.

[brokensymmetry]

12. If you want to live like a Republican....

vote for a Democrat. :evilgrin:

[SNAKE MAN]

23. What does this mean??

This is a quote from YAHOO about this company. Seems like generic drugs are their main problem.

"Novartis to make job cuts in US after 3rd quarter profits slip by Andre Lehmann
Thu Oct 18, 9:44 AM ET

BASEL, Switzerland (AFP) - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Thursday announced more than 1,200 job losses in the United States after its third quarter results weakened on sharper competition from generic drugs.

Third quarter net profits dropped 12 percent compared to the same period last year to 1.57 billion dollars (1.1 billion euros), the company said in a statement. Analysts had been expecting a figure around 1.7 billion dollars.

Novartis also set aside exceptional provisions of 590 million dollars to increase cover for possible environmental costs.

Despite the tail-off in the third quarter, Novartis claimed that earnings over the first nine months of the year still reached record levels, with a seven percent increase to 5.61 billion US dollars."

[Mend]

24. it means nobody's job is safe except for the big bosses...not even if the

company makes billions of dollars.