Doctors in Favor of Prescription Drug Samples

There are numerous studies out there on thefavor printing vouchers for patients to take to
topic of pharmaceutical drug samples. Some say itpharmacies, and just 10% prefer validating
hurts pharmaceutical sales while others say that itvouchers printed out by patients.” The
helps sales. Other studies focus on what doctorssurvey also found that many physicians favor
think about samples. A lot of doctors like the ideasamples “for establishing patient
of pharmaceutical sales representatives bringingrelationships, for reducing patients' costs, and for
them new treatments and helping them learnstarting off therapy.” The full article can be
about new medications. I’ve included a fewfound here:
of these studies for anyone interested in learningDoug Stewart, member, Tube Council of North
more.America, and vice president, sales and marketing,
Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging NewsMontebello Packaging wrote an article for
editor David Vaczek wrote an article in thePharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News
August 18, 2007 issue of the newsletter onMagazine on the effectiveness of prescription
preferences of doctors in reference to freedrug samples. He states that while many believe
pharmaceutical drug samples. The author foundthat giving samples to patients hurt sales of the
that most physicians still prefer for pharmaceuticalprescription drugs, the opposite is true. According
sales representatives to come to the office. Into the article, if packaging is done appropriately,
fact, according to a survey presented at thedrug samples can actually increase sales of new
Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council's Annualdrugs, since many physicians are hesitant to
National Symposium on Patient Compliance lastprescribe a drug that has not been proven
year, a full “60% of doctors want to getaffective.
samples through personal sales visits. Only 20%