DOCTORS SAY DRUG SAMPLES INFLUENCE THEIR PRESCRIBING DECISIONS, ACCORDING TO STUDY

One in three doctors believe that their decisions on which drugs to prescribe have been affected by receiving drug samples from pharmaceutical sales representatives, indicating that the practice needs to be examined more carefully, according to a study of doctors published in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

Nearly all of the doctors, 94 percent, distributed samples to patients based on financial need. Sixty-three percent of the time they said effectiveness in treating patients was the reason.

In 2003, the pharmaceutical industry spent $25.3 billion on drug promotion, including distributing $16 billion in free drug samples to doctors, the study said.

According to the findings of the study, in which questionnaires were mailed to 397 members of American College for Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 92 percent of doctors felt that it was more acceptable to take drug samples than any other "incentive item," such as a free lunch or a position as a paid consultant. Almost 60 percent of doctors distributed samples to "build a good relationship with the patient," and almost 90 percent said they distributed the samples because they were available.