How much does your bag weigh??

I've pulled a cart for too long and have permanent nerve damage to my right arm. worker's comp was denied and disability says I'm not eligible for reimbursement because my experience was specific to my employer. They say pharma sales is classified by the gov't's dictionary of occupational titles as "light duty" which means industry-wide, the majority of reps supposedly only "move" up to 10 lbs frequently (2.5hrs-5 hrs per day) and occasionally up to 20lbs. This job description was determined in 1977, I guess before we started handing out clocks and textbooks, and took breakfast, lunch and snack to an office every day, on top of our samples, literature, pens and sticky pads.

Am I crazy or did I really see the rest of you carrying/pulling well over 10lbs every day?? Mine was more like 40lbs when you counted the laptop I brought in.

So, I'm trying to prove that it wasn't just my company, and that it's a change in job description industry-wide. Weigh your bag/cart/laptop, etc. next time you're in an office and please tell me how much all of it weighs. It was always a running joke among reps about how much we schlepped around. Has anyone else faced this? Any suggestions? Someone, please help me verify this.

Janet4,
I love your posting it is very interesting, while I cannot help you verify this I am interested in starting a career in pharmaceutical sales. I have a proven sales background, a B.S. in Organizational Management, and graduated with a 3.73 GPA. I am wondering what company you are with and where your territory is located? My e-mail is mabed1@k12tn.net and look forward to hearing from you

So sorry that you over paid order taker/UPS delivery drivers are having a hard time carrying a bag that probably isnt really used...maybe they should cut the drug reps off and put more into research and devlp rather than reps and dtc advertising. such a tough job......now do you want a salad with that...........

My boyfriend is a sales rep for the pharm. company I work for (I'm in the labs) and his bag is about as much as yours at about 40 lbs. I would contact an attorney. Keep us updated on this!

quit your complaining and go find a real job.......

Lunch, sticky pads, pens..hmmm..how does that help a patient again? Maybe you should be like the other pharma reps i know and carry a golf bag instead. Puhlease.

joe in jacksonville (who cant spell his name right 2x's in a row) and enlightened moron in virginia, it is so apparent that you both are extremely jealous that you were never able to land it in the pharamaceutical sales industry. maybe it was a lack of education for joe in jacksonville or lack of personality to the enlightened one in virginia; either way...GET OVER IT!!!!