Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. said it will buy 1,300 Apple iPads for its sales representatives in Japan to market the company's medicines.
Otsuka will purchase the devices from Softbank Corp. by the end of July for its sales force to give presentations to doctors and study company training materials, the Tokyo-based drugmaker said. The company is considering using the iPad globally, said Yuko Kikuchi, a spokeswoman for Otsuka.
"It's getting more important to provide new medical information to doctors more quickly," Kikuchi said Tuesday. "The iPad will help employees improve the quality of their work."
Otsuka, the closely held company that discovered the antipsychotic drug Abilify, will spend about ¥230 million on the iPads in the first year, including service fees to Softbank, according to Kikuchi. The iPad began selling in Japan less than two weeks ago after making its U.S. debut April 3.
The company said it had 1,070 sales representatives as of April 1. Employees who support the sales staff, including product managers, will also use iPads, Kikuchi said.
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