Scientific information and drug promotion: origins and historical development of medical sales representatives in Spain during the 19th and 20th centuries

The pharma sales representative plays a crucial role as an intermediary between the pharmaceutical industry—responsible for the research, development, and presentation of therapeutic innovations in the pharmacological field—and healthcare professionals, particularly physicians. Pharma sales representation fulfills a dual function: firstly, providing technical-scientific information and advice regarding medicines, and secondly, serving a commercial purpose aimed at achieving corporate objectives. This article examines the historical development of this scientific-commercial activity in Spain, from its earliest records to the end of the twentieth century, when the profession was definitively consolidated thanks to the European Directive 92/28/EEC and its corresponding Spanish transposition, Real Decreto 1416/1994 of June 25, “regulating the advertising of medicinal products for human use.” The study addresses, from a historical perspective, topics such as the daily work of medical/pharma sales representatives, their connections with the pharmaceutical industry, the working conditions of this professional group, the methods used for drug promotion among physicians, the relationships maintained with medical practitioners, the stance of the pharmaceutical collective—especially through the Unión Farmacéutica Nacional—and the mechanisms employed for the regulation and management of this professional role within the pharmaceutical industry.