Visita médica: Ni siquiera 60...que son 20 secs.

Imagen: F.Comas/Curso Postgrado Mercadeo Farmacéutico/
Facultad Farmacia/Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV)

Two dozen young men and women toting backpacks and brochures mill around cardiologist P.L. Tiwari’s office in Bombay Hospital, waiting as long as 90 minutes for an opportunity to see him. They aren’t there for checkups.

They instead want to persuade the Mumbai doctor to prescribe their brands of prescription drugs. Tiwari, who sees about 50 patients a day, said he is so inundated by sales representatives he tries to limit their visits to Friday nights.

Pharmaceutical sales in India have increased an average of 14 percent annually since 2005, stoked by rising incomes and surging rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. India bans prescription-drug advertising, so GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Pfizer Inc. and other companies are trying to tap the $12 billion market through a sales force of 100,000 that is predicted to at least triple by 2020.

“They often come pleading to me, asking me to prescribe their company’s drugs,” said Tiwari, 66. “I only give them 20 seconds or a minute. You can’t stop your consultation to entertain them.” (Más)