Are You an Unpaid Pharmaceutical Sales Rep?

For decades the pharmaceutical sales rep was a key marketing tool for drug companies. They traveled the country visiting physicians’ offices, leaving samples and arranging for free staff lunches. During the 1990s and into mid 2000 there were about 100,000 sales reps promoting pharmaceuticals to healthcare professionas (BioPharma Dive, Sept. 18, 2017). That started changing with the advent of direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising. These days prescription drug ads are everywhere: on television, social media, streaming platforms, websites and magazines. It is a cost-effective way to reach tens of millions of Americans.

How Much Does a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Make?

If you go to the ‘Glassdoor’ web site, and ask:

“How much does a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative make?”

the answer comes back:

$127K-$215K/yr

This data was “Last Updated April, 10, 2025.”

The ‘indeed’ website lists the average base salary at $80,000 per year, but that may not take into account “additional pay” for bonuses or great sales results. It also doesn’t take into account geography. A sales rep in Tampa, Florida likely makes a lot more than a pharmaceutical sales rep in Dallas, Texas.

“CareerExplorer” suggests that the:

“average salary for a pharmaceutical sales representative in the United States is around $97,778 per year.”

This site suggests that the top 20% actually top $200,000 annually.

However you slice and dice it, a pharmaceutical sales rep makes a very good living. And that does not take into account all the extra costs to Big Pharma, such as pension or 401k matching funds, cars and related expenses, hotels, meals and free samples.

Are DTC Ads Replacing the Pharmaceutical Sales Rep?

A pharmaceutical sales rep costs the industry big bucks! It’s no wonder that direct-to-consumer advertising has become so popular with drug companies.

An article In JAMA (Jan. 1/8, 2019) describes how spending has changed:

“From 1997 through 2016, medical marketing expanded substantially, and spending increased from $17.7 to $29.9 billion, with direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs and health services accounting for the most rapid growth, and pharmaceutical marketing to health professionals accounting for most promotional spending.”

Most People Despise DTC Advertising:

We have often written about our irritation with prescription drug ads on television.  Like many of you, we hate the idea that powerful pharmaceuticals with the potential to do great harm if used inappropriately are being promoted to everyone with enthusiasm. Smiles, kids, dogs and happy times onscreen tend to overwhelm the information about serious or even deadly side effects.

These commercials look as though they are aimed at patients. Of course, the manufacturers hope that you will, in fact, “ask your doctor about” the drug in question. But we learned years ago that the ads are also aimed at doctors. Marketing metrics told pharmaceutical firms that prescriptions start ticking upwards right after a new ad airs. That’s before any patients have had a chance to make an appointment, come in and “ask.”

Many, if not most, health care professionals watch television and/or use streaming services. When drugs like Jardiance, Rinvoq or Skyrizi are advertised over and over again, doctors see the commercials almost as much as their patients. It’s hardly any wonder that such drugs are making a lot of money for their manufacturers.

Drug Company Shill vs. Patient as Pharmaceutical Sales Rep:

Broadcast and online advertising in the 21st century has come to supplement the 20^th century approach to drug promotion. Pharmaceutical salespeople used to spend a lot of time waiting in doctors’ offices. Even if they brought lunch for the staff, they might have to cool their heels for a long time to see the doctor. They also provided doctors with free medication samples as well as items like pens or prescription pads.

All that has been reeled in a bit, thanks to the Physician Payments Sunshine Act of 2013 and the OpenPayments website. The idea was that transparency would limit the amount of money drug companies would spend on doctors and the amount of influence they could exert.

No doubt it has helped. But it hasn’t completely changed the situation.

We heard this from a reader:

“A few years ago, my husband saw a cardiologist who did a stress test. After the test, while we were standing at the front counter, the doctor walked out to the desk and made a verbal report in front of a few other patients and a drug company representative. We had waited an extra 15 minutes to see the doctor because he was busy with a different representative. We did not go back to this doctor.

“In contrast, while visiting my functional medicine doctor, I arrived at the front desk to find a drug company rep arguing with the desk clerk about lunch with the doctor. They went back and forth several times, with the clerk insisting, ‘Doctor S does not go to lunch with salespeople.’ The drug rep repeated: ‘But I want to talk to her about going to lunch with me.’ Then my doctor walked up and asked, “What is going on here?’

“The clerk responded, ‘She wants to take you to lunch and I told her you don’t go to lunch.’ The rep jumped in, ‘Hi doctor S, I just want to know when I can take you out to lunch?’ Dr. S said, ‘I DO NOT go to lunch.’ Drug rep: ‘But …’ Dr. S. interrupted, ‘I told you I don’t go to lunch and furthermore I want you to take your poison and get out of my office.’ Drug rep, ‘But …’ Dr. S had the last word: ‘GET OUT RIGHT NOW AND NEVER COME BACK HERE!’ The drug rep left in a huff.

“I felt like cheering. At that moment I knew that I could fully trust my doctor.”

We suspect that few patients have witnessed such scenes. You can find out about trusting your doctor, though. Enter their name in the search at the OpenPayments website. It will tell you what payments they have accepted, if any, from drug and device makers. Then you get to decide if that is a problem.

Final Words:

We really want to know how you feel about direct-to-consumer prescription drug ads. Please express your opinion, positive or negative, in the comment section below. If you are a health professional, we would love to get your perspective on DTC drug ads.

Have you ever acted as an unpaid pharmaceutical sales rep and asked your doctor for one of the medications you saw advertised on TV? If so, how did your doctor, nurse practitioner or physicians’ associate respond to your request?

If you think this article has merit, please share it with your acquaintances. With you help we will continue to battle direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising. Should you wish to help us in this campaign, here is a link to support our work.