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Facts on Medication Samples

For many decades, the pharmaceutical industry has provided doctors and patients free medication samples in an effort to vigorously promote and market their products. In 1960, these companies spent an estimated $40 to $50 million on drug promotions. More than 30 years later, the pharmaceutical industry spent a whopping $4.9 billion a year marketing their drugs with free sample drug promotions.

This alarming statistic provoked Congress to pass the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987 , which was designed to identify and prevent drug sample dispersion without the written request of a prescriber or a receipt for the delivered medications. While these new provisions increase the safety of medication sample dispersion and use, many risks and drawbacks to drug samples remain.

Intended Benefits of Medication Samples:

• Medication samples provide a way for low-income patients to receive the drugs they need as quickly as possible

• Drug samples are often used as a trial course of treatment to determine if the medication is effective and tolerable before buying a large amount.

Potential Risks of Medication Samples:

• Medication samples may be dispersed without the proper instructions for use, which can lead to serious errors or adverse drug reactions.

• Samples may not have been stored properly, which can affect the potency or stability of the drug.

• Drug samples may be given away without a label, in violation of state and federal regulations, which can lead to misuse.

• Medication sample delivery and dispersion may not be sufficiently recorded, which makes it difficult to contact patients in the event of a drug recall.

• Drug samples may be misused or abused by patients.

Medication Sample Safety

• Make sure the medication sample carries a clear label that indicates your name, the purpose of the drug, the recommended dosage amount, the frequency of use, special precautions, and potential side effects of the medication.