Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey

hypertensive patients who were
    also diabetic. Several of those patients became extremely ill, one of
    them close to death, though he eventually recovered."
    Celia whisked another paper from her file. "A competitor of ours has an
    antibiotic, Chloromycetin, again a first-rate drug, but for serious
    infections only, since its possible side effects include damaging, even
    fatal, blood disorders. Yet-and again I have dates, names, places-the
    other company's detail men have assured doctors the drug is harmless .
    . ."
    Celia finished with Chloromycetin, then continued, "Now to comeback to
    Felding-Roth . . ."
    As she talked, the damning evidence mounted.
    "I could go on," Celia said after a while, "but I won't because my file
    is here for anyone in this company to examine. I will answer that second
    question, though: Why did I bring this up today?
    "I brought it up because I could not get attention any other way. I have
    tried since last year to have someone at headquarters listen to me and
    go through my file. No one would. I had the strong
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impression that what I had accumulated was simply bad news that nobody
    wanted to hear."
    Now Celia looked down directly at the two executive rows. "It may be said
    that what I have done today is headstrong, even foolish. Perhaps it is.
    But I would like to say that I have done it out of deep conviction and
    caring-for this company, our industry, and the reputation of both.
    "That reputation is being tarnished, yet we are doing little or nothing
    about it. As most of us know, there are hearings being held at present
    in the U.S. Congress about the pharmaceutical industry. Those hearings
    are antagonistic to us, yet few in the industry appear to be taking them
    seriously. But they are serious. Already the press is giving prominence
    to criticisms; soon there will be a public outcry for reform. I believe
    that unless we do something ourselves to improve our sales practices and
    reputation we shall have it done for us by government-in a way that none
    of us will like and that will be harmful to us all.
    "Finally, for all these reasons I urge that our own company take the
    lead-first in establishing a detailing code of ethics, second in setting
    up a training and retraining program for us detail people. I have put
    together my own ideas for such a program." Celia paused and smiled. "If
    anyone is interested, they too are in my file."
    She concluded, "Thank you, and good afternoon."
    As Celia gathered up her papers and moved to leave the speakers'
    platform, there was some feeble handclapping, though it ceased almost at
    once, with few in the audience seeming inclined to join in. Clearly, most
    were taking their cue from the executive group at the front, from where
    there was no applause and facial expressions showed disapproval. The
    board chairman seemed angry-he was speaking in low tones, heatedly, to
    Eli Camperdown; the FeldingRoth president nodding as he listened.
    The vice president of sales, a New Yorker named Irving Gregson who had
    been recently promoted, approached her. A forceful man of athletic build,
    Gregson was normally genial and well liked- But now he was glowering, his
    face flushed. "Young woman," he declared, "you have been malicious,
    presumptuous and misguided; also your so-called facts are wrong. You are
    going to regret it. You will be dealt with later, but for now, I am
    ordering you to leave this sales convention and not to return."
    "Sir," Celia said, "won't you at least look at the material I have-"
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"I'll look at nothing!" Gregson's raised voice was audible through the
    hall. "Get out of herel"
    "Good afternoon, Mr. Gregson," Celia said. She turned and walked away,
    heading for an exit. Her step was firm, head high. She thought, later there
    would be time for regrets, perhaps deep dejection; for now, she had no
    intention of leaving this male assemblage defeated, like a weakling. Just
    the same, she admitted to herself, she was defeated, and of course