Confessions Of A Pharmaceutical Rep

Los Angeles - Do your doctors always have your best interests in mind when they prescribe a new medication?

A former pharmaceutical representative says not neccessarily.

She's confessing the sexy tricks she employed to get doctors to change the way prescribed so she could make more money.

FOX 11's Christine Devine has the story in the video report.

Story Script:

JENNIFER SHAW
EVERYBODY HAS THEIR MONEYMAKER OUTFITS. YOU'RE MAKING SURE YOU LOOK SEXY... PROFESSIONAL... AT ALL TIMES.

JENNIFER SHAW
WOULD I KISS A DOCTOR FOR SCRIPTS? ABSOLUTELY NOT. BUT WOULD I LEAD HIM ON AND JOKE AROUND AND TEASE ABOUT IT? ABSOLUTELY. MOST REPS DO.

JENNIFER SHAW
I WAS A CHEERLEADER MY WHOLE LIFE.

A PERFECT RESUME, SAYS JENNIFER SHAW, FOR WHAT BECAME A LUCRATIVE CAREER AS A PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REP. JENNIFER HAD NO BACKGROUND IN SCIENCE OR MEDICINE. SHE SAYS THAT WASN'T A REQUIREMENT.

JENNIFER SHAW
THEY HIRE EX MODELS, EX CHEERLEADERS.

TO JENNIFER THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR: TO GET FACE TIME WITH BUSY DOCTORS.

JENNIFER SHAW
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE SOMETHING THEY MAY WANT TO LOOK AT, SOMETHING THEY MAY WANT TO DATE.

JENNIFER'S PRODUCT: AN ANTI-DEPRESSANT.

HER PITCH:

JENNIFER SHAW
EVERY PATIENT DESERVES TO FEEL PERFECT, AND WITH MY ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, THEY CAN. AND I BELIEVED IT.

IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE JENNIFER'S NUMBERS MADE HER A STAND OUT.

JENNIFER SHAW
I WAS ALWAYS RANKED VERY WELL.

TO MAINTAIN THAT RANKING, JENNIFER SAYS SHE HAD TO CONVINCE DOCTORS TO CONTINUALLY INCREASE THE NUMBERS OF PRESCRIPTIONS THEY WROTE.

JENNIFER SHAW
SAY THEY WROTE 40, WELL YOU NEED TO GET THEM TO WRITE 45 THEN 50.

NO ONE WAS MORE AMAZED THAN JENNIFER AT HER ABILITY TO "EDUCATE" DOCTORS.

JENNIFER SHAW
IT'S AN ABSOLUTE JOKE. AND SOME DOCTORS WILL TELL YOU THAT.

DR. STEVEN GILLON
OF COURSE WE GET COMPLETE INFORMATION BUT IT'S COMPLETELY BIASED.

DR. STEVEN GILLON WAS ONE OF THE DOCTORS IN JENNIFER'S TERRITORY.

AS WITH ALL DRUG REPS...

DR. STEVEN GILLON
ON THE WAY OUT THERE'S DO I HAVE YOUR COMMITTMENT TO WRITE MY PRODUCT? AND I DON'T LIKE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

JENNIFER WAS RELENTLESS.

JENNIFER SHAW
YOUR JOB IS ON THE LINE. IF THE DOCTORS DON'T WRITE YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS YOU'RE GONNA LOSE YOUR JOB. YOU JUST CAN'T BACK DOWN.

DR. STEVEN GILLON
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT? UM IF YOUR TIME IS LIMITED YOU SAY, "OK OK I'LL WRITE YOUR DRUG."

NO MATTER WHAT A DOC SAYS, HE CAN'T FOOL A PHARM REP.

JENNIFER SHAW
NO, BECAUSE I HAVE IT IN MY COMPUTER. EVERY TIME A PATIENT GOES INTO A PHARMACY TO GET A PRESCRIPTION FILLED...

...THE INFORMATION IS SOLD TO DRUG COMPANIES, WHO SEND IT TO LAPTOPS OUT IN THE FIELD.

JENNIFER SHAW
SO WE SEE EVERYTHING THAT THE DOCTOR DOES. HOW MANY PRESCRIPTIONS HE WRITES OF OUR MEDICATION AND THE COMPETITORS.

IF THE COMPUTER SHOWS A DOCTOR'S NOT PRECRIBING AS PROMISED...

JENNIFER SHAW
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SAY HEY, YOU'RE BANGING OUT A LOT OF PRESCRITIONS FOR THE COMPETITORS DRUG AND NOT MINE WHAT'S GOING ON?.

JENNIFER SAYS THE PRESSURE WORKED BOTH WAYS.

JENNIFER SHAW
SOME DOCTORS WILL JUST ASK "WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR ME? YOU KNOW IF I WRITE YOUR PRESCRIPTION WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME."

IN A CASE THAT HELPS SPELL OUT HOW TEMPTING "INCENTIVES" HAVE BEEN TO PUSH SALES, CALIFORNIA'S INSURANCE COMMISSIONER RECENTLY JOINED A LAWSUIT AGAINST BRISTOL MEYER SQUIBB.

THE CHARGE: INFLUENTIAL DOCTORS STEERED CHANGES IN RECCOMMENDED DRUG LISTS AT TOP L.A. HOSPITALS AFTER RECEIVING SPEAKING FEES AND LAVISH MEALS FROM THE DRUG GIANT.

JENNIFER WORKED FOR A DIFFERENT COMPANY, BUT ISN'T SURPRISED.

IN HER EXPERIENCE....

JENNIFER SHAW
EVERY DOCTOR IS RANKED FROM ONE TO 100.

IN MANY COMPANIES A TOP "RANKED" DOCTOR...

JENNIFER SHAW
COULD BECOME A SPEAKER FOR YOUR DRUG, AND THEN THEY GET PAID// FROM $1000 TO $1500 JUST TO GO OUT TO DINNER//AND THEY COULD SPEAK FOR 5 OR 10 MINUTES ABOUT THE PRODUCT.

WHEN PRESCRIPTIONS FALL OFF, SO CAN THE FLIRTY PHARM REP VISITS, THE PAID SPEAKING INVITES, AND THE FREE SAMPLES.

JENNIFER'S CAREER STARTED FALLING APART IN 2008.

JENNIFER SHAW
WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE ANTDEPRESSANT. I REALLY BELIEVED WAS CHANGING THE WORLD SAVING PEOPLE'S LIVES. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE PATENT WAS UP.

HER COMPANY CAME UP WITH A NEW FORMULATION.

JENNIFER SHAW
WE WERE TOLD TO GO OUT AND SELL THE DRUG NO MATTER WHAT, AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE SWITCHED OVER

AS PATIENTS WERE SWITCHED TO THE NEW ANTIDEPRESSANT, DOCTORS BEGAN TO REPORT...

JENNIFER SHAW
THEY'RE STARTING TO FEEL NAUSEAUS. THEY'RE GETTING SICK. THE'RE NOT DOING WELL. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

JENNIFER CLAIMS SUPERVISORS TOLD HER...

JENNIFER SHAW
TO CONTINUE TO SELL THE MEDICATION. "YOU'RE NOT GETTING PAID ON THE ORIGINAL FORMULATION ANYMORE YOU'RE GETTING PAID ON THE NEW ONE. AND YOU GOTTA DO WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THE JOB DONE.

JENNIFER IS NOW ASHAMED OF WHAT SHE TOLD DOCTORS.

JENNIFER SHAW
"GIVE IT A CHANCE. CONTINUE TO PRESCRIBE IT. GIVE IT TO MORE PATIENTS. LETS GET YOUR OWN LITTLE STUDY GOING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS"

EVENTUALLY...

JENNIFER SHAW
MY CONSCIENCE KICKED IN. I FELT HORRIBLE FOR