| The National Center for Biotechnology | | | | will work. From the article, "Anytime that |
| Information (NCBI) published a study on the | | | | you are starting a new prescription |
| effect prescription drug samples have on | | | | medication or changing to a lower costing |
| Medicare patients. The study found that 48.3 | | | | medication, ask your doctor for samples of |
| percent of Medicare beneficiaries take | | | | the new medication. This is to ensure that |
| advantage of free prescription drug samples, | | | | you don't spend a lot of money for a full |
| with most saying that they accessed these | | | | prescription bottle to find out later that |
| samples due to cost issues. The study | | | | the medication doesn't work correctly for |
| concluded that "Accessing free prescription | | | | you." Read the full article here: |
| drug samples is prevalent among many | | | | |
| categories of beneficiaries, especially among | | | | Anne Zieger wrote an article for Fierce |
| individuals with cost-related medication | | | | Healthcare on the proposed ban of drug |
| non-adherence and poor health status. | | | | samples at the University of Pittsburgh |
| Policies restricting or prohibiting drug | | | | Medical Center. The hospital even suggested |
| sample distribution may adversely impact | | | | suspending the admitting privileges of |
| access to medications among patients in | | | | physicians who break the rules if one was to |
| high-risk groups." The abstract of this study | | | | be enacted. Zieger argues that taking away |
| can be found on NCBI's Web site: | | | | drug samples could hurt lower income patients |
| | | | would can't afford the medication. She |
| The Web site Reduce Prescription Costs | | | | writes, "It doesn't seem fair to penalize the |
| agrees, prescription drug samples is a great | | | | poor and struggling middle-income patients |
| way to determine if your body will tolerate | | | | who can't afford co-pays just on principle. |
| the new medication. Often time's patients | | | | As a consumer, I'm all for knowing physicians |
| don't know how their body will respond to new | | | | are unbiased, but the reality is that samples |
| medication, so a sample medication is often | | | | bring some pretty effective drugs to patients |
| the best way of seeing if the prescription | | | | who wouldn't be able to get them otherwise... |