The NYT today has a story suggesting that "it’s not at all clear that samples save patients money. Critics say they may actually drive up the cost of health care in the long run, because the drugs being promoted are the most expensive brand-name medications. Since many conditions require lifelong treatment, the patient would have to buy the medicine sooner or later."
There are lot of problems with the role of drug reps in this business, but free samples is not one of them. If you're a patient, particularly an uninsured one, getting cost-free medicine on the spot is a deal that can't be beat.
Yes, it is likely that the doctor may end up giving you a premium priced branded drug rather than a cheap generic with a safety record. But if you have no health insurance, then getting a generic prescription is about as likely as getting pie in the sky. Besides, anyone with a half-sensible health coverage plan knows that the doc can prescribe whatever he likes -- if there's a generic equivalent at the pharmacy you're getting that instead.
Do free samples drive up the cost of medicine -- someone has to pay for them, right? Probably not (although I'd be willing to correct this if someone can show me some nice numbers). The pills themselves are the least-expensive part of the equation. The drug rep and her car are probably the major cost (north of $100K per annum at this point for each one).
Drug marketing is going through a maelstrom right now, with DTC reform in the Senate, Waxman's off-label probe and Stark's demands for the OIG to get on the stick. Free samples are the one area that Big Pharma can point to and genuinely say, hey, we help millions of people free of charge. Weirdly, it's also one of the areas that Big Pharma talks least about.
My advice to the industry: Each sample should come with a leaflet touting your company's Patient Assistance Program (unless of course you work for Lilly, which just axed theirs). This will keep you looking good as well as actually doing good for the 40 million uninsured in this country.
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