Free prescription drug samples are widely used in the U.S.Free prescription drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, samples are widely used in the U.S. Many physicians believe that free drug samples allow them to provide medication to their neediest patients, a claim often repeated by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is an industry trade group representing the pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies in the United States. (PhARMA). But, a recent study examined the characteristics of drug sample recipients and found that this belief is misguided mis·guid·ed adj. Based or acting on error; misled: well-intentioned but misguided efforts; misguided do-gooders. mis·guid . Data from a nationally representative survey revealed that persons who had continuous health insurance received more free drug samples than those who were uninsured for some, or all, of the year. Controlling for demographic factors, researchers also discovered that neither insurance status nor income predicted a person's receipt of drug samples: the poor and uninsured (regardless of their need) were the least likely to receive free drug samples. Researchers suggested that this might be due, in part, to unmeasured differences in health care access on the part of the poor and uninsured. We wonder if drug companies actually use free samples as an investment, not charity--placing the majority of their "free" merchandise in locations that have the greatest number of paying customers. American Journal of Public Health The American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) is a peer reviewed monthly journal of the American Public Health Association (APHA). The Journal also regularly publishes authoritative editorials and commentaries and serves as a forum for the analysis of health policy. , FEBRUARY February: see month. 2008 |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion