Researchers analysed the data on more than 10,000 US children under 18 years old from a 2004 national survey that included questions on receipt of free drug samples.
They found that 1 in 10 children who take prescription medications received free samples and 1 in 20 children overall got free samples. The study showed that wealthy and insured American children who had access to medical care and saw doctors in private offices rather than in hospitals or clinics were more likely to get free drug samples although drug companies argue that free samples help uninsured and low-income people get the medications they need.
The author said that most free samples were new and expensive drugs, in her previous study on free samples for adults, Vioxx topped the list but was later withdrawn from the market due to dangerous side effects. She concluded that "Poor and uninsured children are not the main recipients of free drug samples. Free samples do not target the neediest children selectively and they have significant safety considerations."
Source: "Free Drug Samples in the United States: Characteristics of Pediatric Recipients and Safety Concerns" ( Published online October 1, 2008) Pediatrics Vol. 122 No. 4 October 2008, pp. 736-742
No comments:
Post a Comment