Pharmaceutical sales and marketing teams will have a much easier time selling their products in one US state-and may have avoided major restrictions in others across the country-after a New Hampshire law banning the use of physician prescribing data for commercial use was struck down in state court. But drug marketers will need to continue to keep an eye on a less restrictive program sponsored by the American Medical Association.

In the debate over prescribing data, just a causal conversation between a sales rep and a physician can inspire efforts to ban the practice. The following anecdotes underscore the importance--and the difficulty-in maintaining control over sales forces.