This question is for Dr.s ONLY please! Don’t you find those free samples a waste?
I think that that medicine can be used by those who cannot afford health coverage, wouldn’t you think so? My friend said alot of Dr.s just throw them away. What’s your opinion?
Many doctors do use the free samples, and gift them to those patients they know can’t afford them, who ask for them, or who they want to start taking them instantly. Those medications that are not available as a generic are often done that way because of the expense.
Some doctors have repeatedly requested that a pharmacuetical representative NOT leave certain samples, and when they do it anyway, the doctor throws them away. Often these meds are highly abusable and users "doctor shop" looking for the samples. I’ve seen my doctor do this infront of the rep in order to get his point across that he does NOT distribute psychiatric or narcotic medications. Diabetic meds he’ll take 
Doctors throw away the ones that are useless to their practice (and don’t believe what you hear about it depriving anybody of free medicine, often the packaging makes it rather useless – one metformin pill, just one in the package, and the rep only leaves five packages).
In some places, some medicines can not be given away free unless packaged a certain way or in complicance with regulations that make it too difficult to do. The paperwork involved for the doctor’s office is a nightmare and they don’t have the time and money to worry about it.
The amount of samples is not large enough to supply the poor compared to the amount of discounted and free supplies the companies already donate to organizations for the specific purpose of supplying the poor. So don’t worry about it.
Many doctors do use the free samples, and gift them to those patients they know can’t afford them, who ask for them, or who they want to start taking them instantly. Those medications that are not available as a generic are often done that way because of the expense.
Some doctors have repeatedly requested that a pharmacuetical representative NOT leave certain samples, and when they do it anyway, the doctor throws them away. Often these meds are highly abusable and users "doctor shop" looking for the samples. I’ve seen my doctor do this infront of the rep in order to get his point across that he does NOT distribute psychiatric or narcotic medications. Diabetic meds he’ll take
Doctors throw away the ones that are useless to their practice (and don’t believe what you hear about it depriving anybody of free medicine, often the packaging makes it rather useless – one metformin pill, just one in the package, and the rep only leaves five packages).
In some places, some medicines can not be given away free unless packaged a certain way or in complicance with regulations that make it too difficult to do. The paperwork involved for the doctor’s office is a nightmare and they don’t have the time and money to worry about it.
The amount of samples is not large enough to supply the poor compared to the amount of discounted and free supplies the companies already donate to organizations for the specific purpose of supplying the poor. So don’t worry about it.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:32 pmReferences :