John Bowdish, Former Regional Government Affairs Manager BW USA

John Bowdish started as a sales representative in Illinois, then Chicago. He was on the Temporary Office Personnel Staff (TOPS) programme and then moved into Drug Regulatory Affairs.

Topics discussed include:

* brief biography

* process for signing off product literature/inserts for products, and the FDA * Certificates of Free Sale (citing Egypt specifically: not having the equivalent of the FDA the country accepted US FDA approval. This was proved by a variety of certificates).

* relations of company with US Government and State Government

* the issue of Aids/AZT/Retrovir and pricing

* sales representatives, generally and their training, interaction with doctors and pharmacists

* Empirin and Tylenol

* Darvin (competitor, Eli Lilly's product)

* advertising

* management, coprorate culture and working atmosphere

* product development and product management

* Temporary Office Personnel Staff (TOPS) programme (sales representatives were brought into the office for two years to act, effectively, as brand managers. Afterwards, they usually either returned to being Sales Representatives or became District Sales Managers)

* Management style of Fred Coe, Bill Creasy and Ted Haigler

* McKinsey Study

* over the counter products, specifically Actifed and Sudafed

* flotation

* Coopers and veterinary products generally.

Products mentioned include: Neomycin; Cardilate; Polysporin; Marzine

11 May 2001

audio tape and transcript Tape 23