Question Of The Day #1 – Do Medical Sales Reps Wear Scrubs?
Today, we answer a common question here at Medical Sales Authority. Do medical sales reps wear scrubs? It depends on the type of medical sales rep and the type of product they represent. Surgical sales representatives cover products that are used in the operating room setting. These representatives wear scrubs as they support their medical device during surgical cases.
Some medical sales reps meet with hospital administration rather than clinicians. For example, some of the reps that sell imaging equipment to radiology departments. In these situations, it is more likely the rep would be dressed in business formal attire. In addition, company representatives that focus on meeting with hospital executives would dress in formal business attire.
Repscrubs
There is a trend at some hospitals for the healthcare facility to require that reps wear a specific type of scrubs. They do this for infection risk mitigation, to enforce compliance, and to better track vendors as they come and go from the hospital. Repscrubs is a new company that places scrub vending machines in hospitals. On each visit reps have to purchase disposable scrubs. The idea is to limit contamination from when reps wear hospital scrubs home.
In the beginning of my career, I was more likely to wear a suit and tie. I have since come to prefer scrubs. It is easier to blend in at the hospitals and get to where I need to be to meet with customers.
Do Pharma Reps Wear Scrubs?
Normally, pharmaceutical reps do not wear scrubs. For the most part pharma reps make sales calls at outpatient clinics. In this setting wearing scrubs is unnecessary. Some indicate the specialty pharma reps working within the hospital may wear scrubs to blend in. Surprisingly it is a heated subject on the discussion boards. One rep states that you do not have any business wearing scrubs if you don’t go into the OR with a surgeon. I do not enitrely agree with this.
Do You Have More Questions?
Quora is a question and answer website where people go to find information. In the article below the Medical Sales Authority team answers the most common questions on Quora.
From a patient perspective it’s off putting when someone in a suit and tie walks in, immediately takes up the time of the front desk then goes to the back. If the rep were wearing scrubs, I might think they are with the clinic and not be inclined to become aggravated. Pharma or medical should not matter, at the end of the day, do what makes the patient and clinic happy.
Good insight. Thank you for the feedback.