Exhibit 99.1

                      PDI Announces Contract with Novartis

Upper Saddle River, NJ-- (December 24, 2003) PDI, Inc. (NASDAQ: PDII) announced
that it has signed an agreement with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, the
U.S. pharmaceuticals affiliate of Novartis AG. The contract calls for 300
representatives supporting Diovan(R) and Lotrel(R) and replaces the one ending
December 31, 2003 . The new contract is scheduled to end December 31, 2004.

PDI reaffirms its 2004 guidance of $1.15 to $1.25 earnings per share.

Steven K. Budd, President of PDI's Global Sales and Marketing Services Group
said, "We are pleased to continue our relationship with Novartis and look
forward to contributing to their continued success."

About PDI

PDI, a premier healthcare sales and marketing company, provides strategic
alternatives to the portfolio challenges of biopharmaceutical and medical device
and diagnostics manufacturers. Focusing on two core businesses, sales and
marketing services and product commercialization, PDI leverages its expertise
and commercial infrastructure to maximize profitable brand growth. Manufacturers
choose the relationship which best meets their strategic and financial
objectives, ranging from individual or bundled service agreements to broader
commercial partnerships.

For more information, visit the Company's website at www.pdi-inc.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned
that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and
uncertainties, known and unknown, which could cause actual results and
developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such
statements. Please see the risk factors detailed from time to time in PDI's
periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without
limitation, PDI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2002, and PDI's periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission since January 1, 2003. The forward looking-statements in
this press release are based upon management's reasonable belief as of the date
hereof. PDI undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any
forward-looking statements for any reason.