When are representatives' call rates excessive?
- Clause 17 (15) Representatives
- Clause 17 (15) Contract Representatives
- Clause 17.3 (15.3) Hospitality and Payments for Events/Meetings
- Clause 17.3 (15.3) Items Delivered by Representatives
- Clause 17.3 (15.3) Health Professionals’ Standards of Conduct
- Clause 17.4 (15.4) Frequency and Manner of Calls on Doctors and Other Prescribers
- Clause 17.8 (15.8) Provision of the Summary of Product Characteristics
- Clause 17.9 (15.9) Briefing Material
The supplementary information to Clause 17.4 includes that a representative may call on a doctor or other prescriber no more than three times on average in a year. The number of contacts with that health professional may be more than that, provided it is made clear that only three of these contacts can be cold calls. Briefing materials should clearly distinguish between expected call rates and expected contact rates. The Code does not prohibit ‘call-backs’ or bonusing representatives on contact rates. However, if representatives are bonused on contacts, their targets must be realistic so that representatives are not put under unacceptable pressure to solicit gratuitous ‘call-back’ opportunities, use items as inducements to gain interviews or hang around in corridors hoping to bump into a customer.
The Authority considers it helpful if all briefing material relating to call/contact rates either reminds representatives of the requirements of the Code in that regard or refers them to another relevant document.