GI practice regains control of previously unstructured approach to managing reps

At GI Associates & Endoscopy Center in Flowood, Mississippi, life science representatives provided important education for physicians and staff about new drugs and other medical technology.

Despite the value that reps deliver, managing visits and fielding calls was a tedious, manual process with little consistency. Leigh McCarthy, human resources assistant, would interact with reps on the phone, in-person, and online in an attempt to fit reps into their workflow and ensure that reps who are invited in have something new, interesting, and relevant to discuss. “Despite our best efforts, there were still scheduling problems, such as last-minute cancellations, no-shows, reps showing up at the wrong time, and reps with the same products scheduling back-to-back appointments.”

“We were wasting time doing redundant clerical work to manage life science reps,” says Todd Warren, CEO. “There was definitely a better way.”

Furthermore, some reps completely circumvented McCarthy, talking staff into letting them in through a back door so they could try and speak with physicians as they moved between exam rooms. “It was getting out of control,” says Warren.

When one of the practice’s reps told Warren about RxVantage—a free, online platform that gives practices control over their rep policy—he knew it would add much-needed structure to the process and reduce manual workarounds.

Now, McCarthy can see which reps will be in the practice, and when, with a quick glance at her RxVantage schedule. No-shows, last-minute cancellations, and double-bookings are a thing of the past. Best of all, she has ditched her pile of rep business cards because she can now search the RxVantage rep database, by rep name, product name, or company name, to find the right rep when a doc needs to speak to one.

Individual reps can no longer monopolize the schedule, ensuring that physicians have access to a wide range of information.

With RxVantage, we get to see a variety of products and services, and it is easy for us to get in touch with the reps. It definitely beats the old days of a notebook and paper calendar.