Wealthy patients get more drug samples

March 17, 2008

Wealthier, insured patients receive no-cost drug samples from physicians more often than lower-income patients, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

The study, which used data from a 2003 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality survey of 33,000 U.S. residents, found that patients with the highest incomes were the most likely to receive no-cost samples, and only 28 percent of patients who received samples had incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

The study does not indicate that physicians intentionally gave drug samples to patients with higher incomes, USA Today reported.

The survey revealed that patients who saw their physicians in offices were more likely to receive samples, and insured patients with better access to care were more likely to see their physicians in that setting.