5 Routing Mistakes That Are Wrecking Your Pharma Sales Strategy

(And how to fix them to maximize your time, territory, and results)

In pharmaceutical sales, every mile matters.

But if your routing isn’t strategic, you’re burning valuable time, missing top targets, and losing ground to competitors, sometimes without even realizing it.

An effective pharma sales strategy starts with the field. And that means reps need more than just product knowledge and persistence, they need smart, repeatable territory routing.

Below, we break down five common routing mistakes pharma reps make, and how to fix them with a smarter sales strategy.

1. Chasing the Closest Office Instead of the Right One

Many reps default to visiting offices that are nearby or convenient, especially when schedules shift. While it might feel efficient, this often leads to missed opportunities with high-value prescribers.

Fix it:

Build your route based on account value and urgency, not just proximity. Rank your targets weekly and prioritize must-see accounts. Anchor your day around these and fill in nearby offices as secondary stops.

2. Rebuilding Your Route from Scratch Every Week

Starting from a blank slate each week wastes time and mental energy. It’s hard to create consistency—and even harder to build momentum—if your route is completely different every time.

Fix it:

Develop a repeatable weekly route structure. Think of it like a sales cadence: Mondays are for the west side of your territory, Tuesdays are for clinics near hospitals, and so on. This creates rhythm and frees up energy for actual selling.

3. Ignoring Clustering

Routing that’s too spread out leads to “windshield time”—lots of driving, not enough doctor facetime.

Fix it:

Use clustering as a strategic tool. Group 3–5 calls in tight geographic zones to reduce travel time and increase the number of meaningful visits per day. Bonus: it also reduces stress and helps you show up more focused at each stop.

4. Leaving Gaps You Can’t Actually Use

Those 45-minute breaks between appointments may look productive on paper, but in practice they become dead time: too short for a drop-in, too long to sit idle.

Fix it:

Compress your schedule wherever possible. If gaps are unavoidable, treat them as strategic windows: time for post-call notes, CRM updates, or quick follow-ups. But be intentional, don’t let the day drift.

5. Using Navigation Apps as Your Sales Plan

Google Maps is great for directions—not for designing your work week.

Fix it:

Use a pharma-specific routing platform such as AtlasRx, that considers more than distance. You need tools that factor in account priority, call history, and access restrictions—all while helping you plan routes in minutes, not hours.

Why Routing Is Pharma Sales Strategy

Most reps think of routing as a logistical task. But it’s far more than that—it’s the foundation of your sales strategy in the field.

When done right, better routing helps you:

• See more of the right HCPs in less time

• Drive fewer unnecessary miles

• Create more consistent territory coverage

• Stay ahead of competitors who are chasing their tail

Final Thoughts

Your territory is a chessboard. Every move matters.

Fixing these five routing mistakes won’t just make your day smoother—it will make your pharma sales strategy stronger.

✅ Next Steps:

Want to plan smarter, faster routes that boost productivity and performance?

Try AtlasRx — the only routing platform built specifically for pharmaceutical sales reps.

Or download our free routing guide and template.

Cut the wasted miles and start winning your week.