Understanding Sample Usage and Sampling as a Promotion Tool: State of Industry Practice and Current Research - Innovation and Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry - page 500

Table 17.1 Reasons for
using samples

To start therapy immediately
To convince a patient to start therapy or to increase patient
compliance
To encourage a patient to come back for a follow-up visit
To treat a medical problem that is of a limited nature (for
short-term use)
To test effi cacy before fi lling a prescription
To assess tolerability before fi lling a prescription
To help in switching a patient to a new medication
To gain fi rst-hand experience with a drug
For dosage titration (increasing dosage temporarily)
On patient request or to increase patient satisfaction
For patient convenience (e.g., if the drug store is closed)
To preserve patient confi dentiality
Because they are there
If samples are about to reach the expiration date
Because “it's common policy”
To teach and to demonstrate
To taste-test the drug (this is mentioned quite often by
pediatricians)
For personal use, for family use, and for staff use

treatment and a way to reduce their medication expense. Physicians use samples to
provide better service for patients and improve their relationship with patients.
Pharmaceutical companies use samples to promote drugs and to gain access to
customers.
The key decision maker regarding sample usage is the physician. Physicians use
samples differently depending on the medical condition of the patient. Sawaya
( 2002 ) summarized the reasons why physicians use samples (Table 17.1 ) based on
the result of a physician survey. These reasons refl ect clinical, logistical, as well as
social issues faced by physicians on a daily basis.
As there are many different reasons for physicians to dispense samples to
patients, it would be a challenge to separately identify and quantify the factors that
drive sample dispensation of a brand.

17.2.2 Government Regulations

In the USA, the practice of pharmaceutical sampling is subject to detailed govern-
ment regulations. According to “Prescription Drug Market Act” (PDMA) passed
by the U.S. Federal Government in 1987, drug samples cannot be sold, traded,
donated, or supplied at a reduced price to a third party, including charitable organi-
zations. Drug samples can only be distributed to practitioners who are licensed to
prescribe such drugs. PDMA requires distribution of drug samples only upon
written request (called “sample signature” in the industry) by physicians with proper