With Covid-19 presenting significant risks to the elderly and immunocompromised patients across the world, health care facilities have become hotbeds of the Viral Spread. Doctor's offices, hospitals, ER Clinics, and outpatient centers are now on high alert in an effort to protect their patients and their Health Care Practitioners. As we view images of the authorities in Hazmat suits spraying down entire cities with disinfectant, we are reminded of just how contagious the Covid-19 virus is in these Health Care Facilities.

Perhaps the one profession that may be most at risk of catching and potentially spreading Covid-19 is the Pharma/Medical Sales representative. Depending on the product, these sales professionals may be traveling from one contaminated waiting room to another in their efforts to see between 5-10 physicians per day. Of course, since these professionals interact with health care professionals each day, they can quickly adapt to the safety measures of the health care practices. However, as we've seen with the sad deaths in the nursing home in Kirkland, WA, the health care facilities with the most fragile patients, (potentially Oncology Clinics, and infectious disease offices) may be among the most risky for sales reps to visit. The risks are twofold, both the risk of getting sick, and the risk of potentially spreading the virus from office to office as the rep tries to get 8-10 calls per day.





So how can a Pharma rep and the Pharma company reduce these risks associated with their jobs? For now, Pharma is probably keeping the reps at home in the most risky areas of the country. Doctors' offices may be creating different protocols for reps to follow in order to reduce any contamination risks in their offices. When this virus is contained, and life starts to return to normal, what is the future of Pharma??

Keep the iPad in the Car

The glorious world of interactive visual aids on the iPad may see an abrupt end. In the Post-Covid-19 era, is it really a good idea for thousands of health care professionals to touch iPads that are circulated from office to office? Also, these Interactive Visual Aids are designed to increase "interaction" by the health care professionals. If a physician just left the room of a contagious patient, and "interacted" with a Sales Rep's iPad, how many other doctors will interact with this contaminated device?

Obviously the reps are going to clean their devices, wash their hands and follow all the protocols of their company. However, will the doctors trust them to keep those iPads Covid-19 free? Should the doctors trust them as they attempt to protect their patients from the deadly disease and potential contamination? In the Post-Covid-19 era, interpersonal interactions such as hugs, handshakes, fist-bumps, high fives, are probably going to be replaced by a polite hello...especially in a health care facility. Catered group lunches in the doctor's office may not be such a good idea anymore. Of course, that one item that seems to travel from waiting room to waiting room, from doctors' hands to doctors' hands, from catered lunch to catered lunch, ...that big iPad should probably stay in the care, or at home.

So What is Next?

The Pharma/Medical Device reps play an essential role in our health care world. Our health care providers rely on these professionals to support them with product information, patient resources, product samples, and some opportunities to learn from the best and brightest researchers and clinicians in their field. While maybe not absolutely essential, these interactions seem to be most effective through personal contact.

Pharma/Medical Device companies will need to develop protocols to keep their reps safe and their customers and their patients free from cross contamination from rep office visits.

The visual sales aid may eventually return to some form of recycled paper, which is disposed after each interaction with a doctor. Perhaps each sales aid is sealed in plastic, and opened by the physicians themselves? Perhaps the reps will use a mini projector on a white wall, to further prevent the need to touch a susceptible surface? The days of munching on a sandwich in the back break room and then touching an iPad may be over.

Brian Shields is the CEO of Uptempo Group, a mobile software development company focused on the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Industry.















