Free Drug Samples from Your Doctor - Are They Safe?

Every time a doctor writes me a new prescription for a drug I have never taken, I always ask for some free samples. I have always looked at the free drug samples from a savings perspective. The freebies save gas and time by not having to drive to the pharmacy to get prescriptions filled until you know if the medicine is going to work. They also save time because you have immediate access to the medication and can start taking it right away instead of having to wait for the pharmacy to fill the order. Freebie samples save you money on prescription drug costs by letting you "try before you buy" so you'll know which dose and brand of medication works best before having to spend money on a potentially useless medicine.

Free drugs, saving money on prescription medication, saving time and gas ... all of this sounds good, right? Yes, but the truth is, there are both pros and cons on the subject of free drug samples. After reading an article in Consumer Reports magazine about the potential drawbacks, I did more research and realized there are some important downsides to consider. These are the top 5 drawbacks I consistently came across during my research.

1. Most drug samples do not come with the printed instructions showing their side effects and dosage information. Unless the physician takes time to explain these aspects of the sample medication to the patient, then the patient could be at risk. Patients sometimes will not take the medication at all because they forgot what dose to take and how often, or they can take too much due to the lack of clear printed usage instructions. Some medicines should not be combined with alcohol, could cause an allergic reaction if mixed with certain other drugs, or can cause drowsiness. Unless people are aware of these risks, they might not be prepared to avoid activities that could cause them harm.

2. Patients sometimes do not use all of the samples they are given because the medication doesn't work for them. Instead of throwing away the unused medication, they will keep it in a cabinet "just in case". Then they often go back to the doctor and get a second sample of a different drug to treat the same condition. If the second drug does not work, they might get a third sample of yet another drug. Depending on the amount pills / liquid in the samples, the potential to take more than one drug for the same condition becomes a risk. The risk is even higher in elderly patients who live alone or have memory problems.

3. Your pharmacist will not have records of any sample drugs you are taking and will not be able to screen for harmful interactions with other drugs you might be taking. You most likely will not be notified of any recalls for the medication because unless you get a prescription filled at a pharmacy, your treatment information will not be stored in the pharmacy database.

4. The samples your doctor gets from drug rep manufacturers are usually the newest and most expensive drugs, which the drug manufacturers are trying to promote. Just because a drug is new does not mean it is the most effective drug in that class. Doctors could be limiting you and your pocketbook to some of the older less expensive or generic drugs by giving you samples of the latest greatest high cost medications. If you are only using samples and find something that works for your condition, you are most likely to want to stick with that drug.

5. Doctors and their staff may not have time to check their "sample closet" to toss out any outdated drug samples, so you could potentially get medication that is past the expiration date. Be sure you always check the expiration date on any sample drugs you get from your doctor, or at least ask the doctor or staff to check the date for you.

There are both pros and cons to getting free drug samples from your doctor and it is up to you to become an informed patient in order to weigh the advantages against the disadvantages.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor and am not attempting to be an advocate for, or against, free drug samples.

Sources:
Consumer reports magazine
www.pharmfree.org
www.australianprescriber.com