Poor and uninsured Americans are less likely than wealthy or insured Americans to receive free drug samples, according to a study by physicians from Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School.
The study found in 2003 12% of Americans got at least one free drug sample.
More people who were continuously insured received a free sample than people who were uninsured for all or part of the year, and the poorest third were less likely to receive free samples than were those with incomes at 400% of the federal poverty level or more (Am. J. Public Health 2008;98:284–9).
“We know that many doctors try to get free samples to needy patients,” said study senior author Dr. David Himmelstein in a statement. “Our findings strongly suggest that free drug samples serve as a marketing tool, not as a safety net.”
But Ken Johnson, senior vice president at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said free samples help millions of Americans, regardless of income, and help patients who can't afford medicines.