Scientific informants write to Cirio and Icardi: let us go back to work

Piedmontese newspaper – 5 June 2020

We receive and publish the letter that the Association of drug sales representatives operating in the Piedmont Region sent to President Cirio and Councilor Icardi:

Dear President Cirio and Councilor Icardi
We are the Association of drug sales representatives operating in the Piedmont Region.
We're talking to you because we think it's appropriate to open a door of dialogue at a very difficult time for the health of our beloved country.
We feel the need to make our presence felt as we are seriously concerned about our future work.
We are professionals with degrees in scientific disciplines and we represent the link between scientific research (companies) and the clinic (doctors).
Our profession consists in illustrating the characteristics of drugs, their indications and contraindications as well as their protocol of use, the dissemination of clinical studies and, last but not least, a recognized role of pharmacovigilance in collecting data on expected and non-expected side effects. This activity is useful to the doctor and is an integral part of the health system as recognized by dgls 219 of 04/24/2006.
The difficult health situation is questioning the entire health system and consequently also the scientific information system. At this moment the context pushes us towards a type of remote "digital" communication which certainly can never replace that made in person by our colleagues in medical offices and which we believe is fundamental.
The relationship of trust built up over years of collaboration with all doctors remains a human and professional value that we want to preserve for the future. Therefore, the possibility of contacting doctors in person remains a fundamental and indispensable point for enabling our profession.

That being said, WE ASK YOU:

– to provide for the restoration of scientific information at the health facilities of the Region as soon as possible, suggesting to all health departments to avoid specific days in order to avoid gatherings of colleagues and preferring a space that is also limited in time but spread over all days of the week.
– to give indications to GPs and affiliated PLSs regarding the safe restoration of scientific information
at doctors' surgeries, leaving the organization of these meetings to the individual doctor, suggesting here too the dilution of all working days for information meetings.

In this way we believe we will be able to work in training all doctors and at the same time we are sure that we will be able to maintain the safety standards required by the extraordinary current and future situation.
Sure of your interest, we are obviously available for a meeting, even by teleconference, to discuss the solutions we have indicated.

With respect and gratitude,
The presidents of the Italian Association of Scientific Pharmaceutical Representatives section Turin, Dr. Jolanda Chiara Carlucci, Southern Piedmont section, Dr. Michele Garofano and National, Dr. Antonio Mazzarella.