title: Drug sampling in dermatology.
abstract: The use of drug samples in a dermatology clinic is controversial. Drug samples are associated with influencing physician prescribing patterns often toward costlier drugs, increasing health care costs, increasing waste, inducing potential conflicts of interest, and decreasing the quality of patient education. On the other hand, they have the potential to help those in financial need, to improve adherence and convenience, and to expose patients to better drugs. Although some academic centers have banned drug samples altogether, many academic and private practices continue to distribute drug samples. Given the controversy of the topic, physicians who wish to distribute drug samples must do so in an ethical manner. We believe, when handled properly, drug sampling can be used in an ethical manner.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 420 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Erika E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alikhan
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Brodell
mesh_terms: D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000191:economics; D003880:Dermatology / Q000941:ethics*; D016527:Drug Costs; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000941:ethics; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D037921:Gift Giving / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D040541:Marketing; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000941:ethics*
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents