No more premiums, no more tchotchkes, no more brand-aids.  The days of “drug mugs,” “prescription pens,” and all variety of other “Rx-tras” are, as of 2009, gone.

Can you still expect M&Ms at a convention booth?  We think so.  A mouse pad in the mail?  Nope.  Notepad?  No.  Flashlight from a rep?  No.  Keychain?  No.  Cap?  No…unless, possibly, it’s also an anatomical model of the brain.

These are the new guidelines put forth by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).  And don’t miss the New York Times article, including a profile of the cardiologist who in his career has saved not only more than a few lives but also more than 1,200 pens from sales reps.

Anatomical charts and models.  Educational DVDs and literature.  These are the only type of giveaways now allowed.  And even these, the guidelines state, “should not be offered on more than an occasional basis.”

Why the change?

The reason is simple: public pressure.  The PhRMA, which stresses that the guidelines were updated voluntarily, emphasizes that the new guidelines demonstrate their commitment to smart medicine:

Sounds good. The PhRMA reveals just a hint of the effect of public pressure with the following statement:

“We are also concerned that our interactions with healthcare professionals not be perceived as inappropriate by patients or the public at large.”

The “public at large,” in recent years, has taken a closer look at what drugs cost and why…and they don’t like what they see.  Publicity in recent years—about drug pricing, drug promotions, physicians’ ties to drug companies, and related issues—has been extensive…and negative.  The new promotional guidelines are designed to soften the criticism by eliminating one of the most visible areas of supposed abuse.

How does drug industry spending compare?

About average.

Americans spend about $200 billion per year on prescription drugs.  To promote these drugs, the industry spends an estimated $16 billion on free drug samples and another $6 billion on selling (or, as the industry calls it, “detailing”).

On average, most companies spend 6-10% of their sales revenue on marketing. Some spend more, some less; it all depends on the unique characteristics of their market and product.  But with the 10% figure as a reference point, the drug industry looks about average.

What isn’t average: the industry’s costs for research and product development, which the industry estimates at up to 18% of total sales.  And, for the record, drug development is generally not even considered the most research-intensive business.  That distinction belongs to the computer software industry.

Now what?

Whether the reasons for the new guidelines are more for the public good or for public relations, they’re the new order.  The pen industry is devastated; the anatomical model industry is thrilled.  And the rest of us are just doing our best to cope…and think of other tchotchke-type promotions.

The latest idea: a box of donuts that the rep brings to the doctor’s office.  The box can no longer have a “Compliments of” sticker on the lid.  But who’s going to squeal if the donuts are arranged to spell the product or company name?  (We just need more drugs with the letter “O” in their spelling.)

Brand-aids were only part of the tactical mix, and a small part at that.  But they were fun, and their ban can be seen as a testament to how memorable, and potentially even influential, they were.  And if not educational, at least sometimes utilitarian.

You can bet that the doctor will wash down that donut with coffee in an old, cherished drug mug.

Sound off on this subject in the comments section.