Spring Break
No more free drugs
Doing away with drug samples provides better care
Andrea Robertson
Issue date: 12/2/08 Section: Opinion
In January, the Charlotte-based Carolinas HealthCare System banned its staff of approximately 700 doctors from giving patients free samples of medications.
In September, The Southern Medical Journal reported that over 90 percent of U.S. doctors receive free samples from pharmaceutical companies. The free samples are usually more pricey medications --an estimated retail value of $16 billion dollars as reported by a study in PLoS Medicine. Doctors receiving high-priced medications to distribute to patients for free may seem like a dream come true, but this practice is not nearly as generous as it may seem.
I couldn't agree more with critics that feel the distribution of these samples should be banned. My fear is that doctors may not be prescribing medications that are best for their patients; instead, they are prescribing medications because they have a sample on hand. It's unethical. Medications should be prescribed based on the best plan for treatment.
Price is also a factor. Companies distributing most of the free samples have some of the most expensive medications. Many patients can't afford to spend the money on their actual prescription once the sample has been used. If a patient receives a free sample and a prescription for a drug they can't afford, they'll have no choice but to go back to the doctor and have another prescription written. What's the benefit in receiving a free sample, then spending more money on a doctor visit to get a prescription for a cheaper medication?
October's issue of Pediatrics reported that the majority of these brand-name samples are being distributed to those who have insurance, as opposed to those in need. Ken Johnson, a top official of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said in response to Pediatrics that "a patient's financial situation is a factor physicians often consider when distributing such samples." The American Journal of Public Health also reported that in 2003, 13 percent of insured patients received at least one free sample, where as only 10 percent of uninsured patients received a free sample.
What we see is that those who are insured receive more samples, even though they run the risk of not being covered for the brand name. Those who aren't fortunate enough to have insurance are often overlooked for the samples, because they wouldn't be able to afford medication at all. It seems to me that it would make more sense to distribute samples to patients who may need extra assistance.
The entire practice of distributing free samples to patients seems to be completely ridiculous. Doctors are at risk of prescribing a sub par medication; the samples are usually brand name, causing them to be too expensive for most; and those in need rarely find themselves in a position to receive the samples. If distributing free samples causes unethical practices by doctors and doesn't benefit patients in the long run, the distribution of these samples needs to come to an end.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
In September, The Southern Medical Journal reported that over 90 percent of U.S. doctors receive free samples from pharmaceutical companies. The free samples are usually more pricey medications --an estimated retail value of $16 billion dollars as reported by a study in PLoS Medicine. Doctors receiving high-priced medications to distribute to patients for free may seem like a dream come true, but this practice is not nearly as generous as it may seem.
I couldn't agree more with critics that feel the distribution of these samples should be banned. My fear is that doctors may not be prescribing medications that are best for their patients; instead, they are prescribing medications because they have a sample on hand. It's unethical. Medications should be prescribed based on the best plan for treatment.
Price is also a factor. Companies distributing most of the free samples have some of the most expensive medications. Many patients can't afford to spend the money on their actual prescription once the sample has been used. If a patient receives a free sample and a prescription for a drug they can't afford, they'll have no choice but to go back to the doctor and have another prescription written. What's the benefit in receiving a free sample, then spending more money on a doctor visit to get a prescription for a cheaper medication?
October's issue of Pediatrics reported that the majority of these brand-name samples are being distributed to those who have insurance, as opposed to those in need. Ken Johnson, a top official of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said in response to Pediatrics that "a patient's financial situation is a factor physicians often consider when distributing such samples." The American Journal of Public Health also reported that in 2003, 13 percent of insured patients received at least one free sample, where as only 10 percent of uninsured patients received a free sample.
What we see is that those who are insured receive more samples, even though they run the risk of not being covered for the brand name. Those who aren't fortunate enough to have insurance are often overlooked for the samples, because they wouldn't be able to afford medication at all. It seems to me that it would make more sense to distribute samples to patients who may need extra assistance.
The entire practice of distributing free samples to patients seems to be completely ridiculous. Doctors are at risk of prescribing a sub par medication; the samples are usually brand name, causing them to be too expensive for most; and those in need rarely find themselves in a position to receive the samples. If distributing free samples causes unethical practices by doctors and doesn't benefit patients in the long run, the distribution of these samples needs to come to an end.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
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