Weisberg Law Blog

Why Free Drug Samples Are a Bad Idea

At first glance, it might seem like taking the free drug samples from your doctor is a great way to save money on prescriptions.  It also saves you a trip to the pharmacy.  But an MSNBC article points out some of the pitfalls of drug company handouts.

First, according to a new study from the University of Chicago, patients who take those "free" samples end up spending much more money on the drug in the long run.  Patients who took a free sample spent almost 40% more on the drug over the the first six months, and 20% more than those who didn't over the next six months.

Dr. William Shrank, of Harvard Medical School, said "This builds on a growing body of literature that shows that samples are not aimed to help the uninsured and the poor, but to increase the sale of branded drugs."  This study, Dr. Shrank noted, is a close follow-up to a January study that found that free drugs were more likely to be distributed to the wealthy and insured than to the uninsured.

Other studies have found that when drug companies are giving free handouts to physicians, the doctors are more likely to write prescription for the brand-name drug than for the generic.  Drug companies should not be injecting themselves into our personal relationship wtih our physician for profit.  The government should step in and impose certain restrictions on the abilities of the drug companies to give handouts to physicians and patients.

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