Pfizer Again Tops Physicians' List of Most-Esteemed Pharma Sales Forces; Verispan releases the 16th edition of its Pharmaceutical Sales Force Structures & Strategies Ranking Tables.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

YARDLEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 19, 2004

For the ninth consecutive year, Pfizer's pharmaceutical sales organization placed first overall in Verispan's Pharmaceutical Sales Force Structures & Strategies (SFSS) 2003-2004 survey of U.S. physicians among nine core medical specialty groups: general/family medicine practitioners, internists, pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons, obstetrician/gynecologists, psychiatrists, general surgeons, gastroenterologists and cardiologists.

       Most Esteemed Sales Forces Among Core Medical Specialties
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       Company            2003 Ranking          2002 Ranking
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       Pfizer                  1                     1
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   GlaxoSmithKline             2                     2
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    Wyeth-Ayerst               3                     5
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        Merck                  4                     3
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     AstraZeneca               5                     8
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      Novartis                 6                     9
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      Eli Lilly                7                     13
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      Schering                 8                     16
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      Pharmacia                9                     14
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Bristol-Myers Squibb           10                    10
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With the industry's largest sales force and highest number of blockbuster products across a range of therapeutic categories, Pfizer ranked first among the following specialties individually: emergency medicine specialists, general/family medicine practitioners, internists, nurse practitioners, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, physician assistants, psychiatrists, urologists, cardiologists and orthopedic surgeons.

Companies ranked first by other specialty audiences included:

-- AstraZeneca: Gastroenterologists

-- GlaxoSmithKline: Pediatricians

-- Merck: General surgeons

-- Galderma Labs: Dermatologists

-- Wyeth-Ayerst: OB/GYNs

First published in 1984, Verispan's SFSS Physician Ranking Tables represent the industry standard for illustrating the impact that pharmaceutical sales forces have on physician perceptions. The SFSS Physician Ranking Tables provide pharmaceutical companies with a means to measure their sales forces' performance among key physician audiences, providing answers to the following strategic questions:

-- What is the trend for my company's sales performance with key

specialties over time?

-- What is my competitor's ranking by these specialties?

-- What future strategies should be employed based on my

company's and my competitor's scores?

-- What is the key to success in promoting to specific

specialties?

This marks the 16th edition of the longest-running study of pharmaceutical sales forces, conducted annually by Verispan. More than 7,000 physicians across 26 specialty groups were surveyed in 2003, as were nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and chain and independent pharmacists.

Another component of the SFSS product line, the 2003 Sales Force Attribute Rankings study, will be available early in the first quarter of 2004. This study asks respondents to assess sales force performance according to product knowledge, sensitivity to time constraints, professional demeanor, provision of sufficient samples and unbiased product comparisons.

The 2003 Sales Force Attribute Rankings study also asks physicians to identify which sales forces they prefer to deal with and why; list the three most important drugs introduced to their practice during the last year and record the manufacturers of those drugs; and rank the relative importance of various sales force attributes.

For more information, please contact Don Paul Palutis at [e-mail] or by phone at [phone].

Verispan: The True Measure of Healthcare

Verispan, a healthcare informatics joint venture of Quintiles Transnational Corp. and McKesson Corp., provides a broad array of information products and services to the healthcare industry, including sales targeting and compensation products; market research audits; healthcare profiles; comprehensive managed care offerings; primary market research; opinion leader mapping; data integration, warehousing and mining; data analysis and consulting; direct mail; list services; disease management studies; clinical trial investigator targeting and protocol recruitment evaluation; healthcare outcomes; and cost/benefit analyses, among many others. Verispan is also the nation's leading provider of patient-centric longitudinal data, with dozens of products used by clients spanning the industry.

Headquartered in Yardley, Pa., Verispan is comprised of over 500 dedicated healthcare information professionals. The company's Web site is www.verispan.com.