Free drug samples could cost you more in the long run
Everyone likes freebies. Eighty percent of respondents in our recent drug survey said they had accepted free drug samples from their doctors. But while those freebies might sound like a great deal, particularly if you’re having a hard time affording your prescriptions, they could cost you more in the long run. According to a study published this week in PLoS Medicine, free samples, also referred to as “starter packs,” actually increase the cost of health care, and do little to promote safe, rational prescription drug use.
So what questions should you ask before taking free drug samples from your doctor? Watch our video with Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, to find out.
—Ginger Skinner
We’d like to hear from you: Have you accepted free drug samples from your doctor? Did it save you money, or end up costing you more?
Posted by: Carolina | Jul 20, 2009 2:34:23 PM
I KNOW it saves me money. I have fibromyalgia, and I have adverse reactions to many drugs. My doctor gives me samples whenever possible, so that I don't have to pay for an entire prescription and then have to toss it. Right now (today) he just gave me 2 starter packs of the new drug for fibro called Savella. It is VERY expensive, but if it DOES work for me, he will help me with my insurance carrier in order to have it paid for, at least most of it paid for. If it doesn't help, or if I have severe side effects from it, then I'm not out any money at all. (As nervous as I am about trying 'unproven' new meds, fibro makes one willing to try almost anything in the desperate hope for relief.)
Posted by: Drugzoo | May 22, 2009 11:09:23 AM
Since my doctor is familiar with my health condtion, I trust that he only recommends something that is best for me. If the free drug sample turns out to be the one that makes me feel better than any other drugs, then I am all for it. Let me and my medical insurance plan worry about the cost and the copay. I'd rather know now that there is a drug that can heal my problem as compared to continuing to take drugs that may not have the same healing effect. Even if the cost of the drug that I get the samples for is high, I may be able to find savings programs to help reduce the cost. There are programs like patient assistance and drug coupons by the drug manufacturers. An example is the recent announcement by the drug manufacturers to give free prescription drugs like Lipitor to the unemployed, etc.
Posted by: HTT | May 13, 2009 6:30:36 PM
I must agree with the previous comments. I think the senario presented in this video is far-fetched and misleading. Every doctor I have ever had has used drug samples to test the effectiveness of a medicine that he wants me to use, but first wants to make sure it works for me. It saves me money because I do not have to purchase a drug that may not work and might have to be discarded. And as with any new prescribed drug, he/she considers what other drugs are being taken and what the side effects might be. As for the samples being expired, if you believe that your doctor would give you something that would cause you harm, then perhaps you need to being seeing a different doctor. Certainly if the medication works and a prescription is given, it can be filled with a generic substitute if one exists and the doctor does not have a problem with its use.
Posted by: Gary | May 13, 2009 1:37:04 PM
"Ask your doctor how much a prescription will cost after the free sample is used up"! And my doctor is supposed to keep up with my health insurance co-pays, what meds they cover etc.?
Good luck on that one! Let's get real here, OK?
I certainly would not expect my doctor to keep up with all the aspects of my health insurance. S/he has enough to do already.
Posted by: Steve from NJ | May 13, 2009 9:51:38 AM
My doctor wanted me to try a new medication he thought would improve a condition and also to verify against unwanted side affects. He gave me samples and after it was demonstrated to be effective I was given a prescription. This mini-trial was not done at my expense so it saved me money.
It's possible that the practice of distribution of samples raises marketing costs and therefore the overall cost to the public of the drug. But within that marketing chain, the actual production costs of the drug itself is probably the cheapest link. I think it's a lot cheaper than educational "seminars" at expensive restaurants and resorts.
Posted by: Dixie | May 13, 2009 1:21:14 AM
I think this is a case of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. The scenerio would have to be "just right" to generate problems that this video seems to assume occur in most cases. I believe all my experiences with free samples have occurred when the doctor was prescribing something for the first time and gave me a supply (typically a month) to try, to see if it worked, if there were negative side effects, if the dosage seemed to be properly tailored to me. Then, he always wants me to "report in via phone" and discuss the drug's effect on me before he gives me a long-term prescription. This certainly saves buying the drug and having to discontinue it shortly thereafter, getting left with a large, non-returnable supply. I check expiration dates as a matter of course with not just prescription drugs but also OTC drugs, food, and other items. I don't think I've ever been given a sample that was old. But I sure have picked up innumerable substances on the drug store's counters that were way out of date. The druggist obviously isn't watching his own inventory very intently when that occurs. I just don't see this as a problem serious enough to warrant a "the-sky-is-falling" video.