Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Sample given
/
TWRx
: This ratio measures the number of treatments with free
samples relative to the number of total written prescription treatments for each
brand. Sample given (SG) includes both sample only (SO) treatment and pre-
scription treatment with samples.
Sample only
/
TWRx
: This ratio measures the number of sample only treatments
relative to the number of total written prescription treatments for each brand.
NWRx with sample
/
NWRx
: This ratio measures the percentage of newly written
prescriptions which are prescribed with samples out of the total number of newly
written prescription treatments for each brand.
RWRx with sample
/
RWRx
: This ratio measures the percentage of renewal written
prescription treatments which are prescribed together with samples out of the
total number of renewal written prescription treatments for each brand.
Sample only
/
sample given
: This ratio measures the percentage of free sample
treatments without prescription out of the total number of treatments with free
samples for each brand.
Sample only
/
NWRx
: This ratio measures the number of the percentage of free
sample only treatments relative to the number of newly written prescription
treatments for each brand.
Note that above statistics are based on a sample of 150 brands. They provide
some insights regarding how samples are used in the most promoted products
among primary care physicians. Here are some observations based on these
statistics. First of all, samples are widely used among primary care physicians.
Of all the 150 brands considered, 137 brands (91.3 %) have instances where NWRx
were prescribed with samples at the same time and 143 (95.3 %) have sample only
treatments.
Secondly, sample usage intensity varies widely across brands, as indicated by the
standard deviation of the ratio of sample given/TWRx. The average of this ratio
across all brands is 0.28 and the median value is 0.19. The brands having the lowest
“sample given/TWRx” ratio are OXYCONTIN, VYVANSE, ANDROGEL,
NUCYNTA, and RECLAST. The brands having the highest “sample given/TWRx”
ratio are PENNSAID and DULERA, both of which are at their launch phases in the
data period. Overall, about 73 % of the 150 brands have “sample given/TWRx”
ratio at 10 % or higher. This indicates that sample promotion is commonly used by
a majority of the most promoted products in the United States.
Thirdly, the average percentage of new prescription treatments prescribed with
samples is 22 %, and this ratio is only 7 % for renewal prescription treatments. In
other words, sample usage with new therapies is more than 3 times of sample usage
with continued therapies. This indicates that samples are used more frequently by
primary care physicians to initiate new therapies than to ensure continuation of
existing therapies.
Lastly, sample only treatment without prescription is a common practice and
accounts for a majority of how samples were dispensed to patients. On average, the
ratio of “sample only” to “sample given” for all 150 brands is 42 %, and the median
is 45 %. Fifteen brands have two-thirds of their sample treatments dispensed with-
out any written prescriptions.
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