This was a study done about "free samples" of medication from doctors. Basically, in response to something like a skin condition, a doctor will give you a free sample of a drug that lasts long enough to see if that drug has any effect on you. But this study found that people who accept free sample wind up spending more money on medication than those who do not accept those samples.
I think an important issue this article brings up is the effect of brand name advertising on the costs that patients have to pay. The reason why free samples exist is because drug companies pass samples off to doctors for promotional purposes, then doctors give these samples to patients. However, as the article points out, the free sample runs out, and if the drug is effective, the patient will continue to take it. The problem is that these name brands usually have much cheaper generic alternatives that contain the same active ingredients. Theoretically, you could take the name-brand drug sample until it runs out, and then switch to the generic drug brand, but the article states that doctors are usually reluctant to do this.
Our conceptions of doctors are usually that they are caring, trustworthy people who always have our best interests in mind. While this is true for the most part, we must also realize that financial constraints are as large a factor for doctors as they are for anyone else (especially for smaller private practices). So we must all be informed consumers, and know when cheaper and equally beneficial alternatives are available.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
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I could write a 3 page paper about this topic. But I will remain concise in this post. My doctor loves to prescribe brand names and prefers to happily add my prescription to his pam pilot and automatically fill my meds at the local Wegmans, so I can pick it up as I drive home. However, I annoy his by providing me a paper copy, which I send to a pharmacy a state away. I get a complete list of generics for my product before confirming my order (and it's a whole lot cheaper). Patients do need to be more informed and aware of their roles in the doctor-patient relationship. I trust doctors, but many times not more so than my own judgements, especially when money is involved.
I can also attest first hand to the situation described in this article. During Cornell’s winter break, I went to Haiti with a volunteer organization. As anyone who has traveled to a developing, or third world country is aware, you are supposed to take malaria pills. Gannett prescribed a pill that cost more than twice as much as the generic malaria pill (the name escapes me).
At the time, I did not really know much about malaria pills so I went home to CVS and bought the pills. When I ran out, my friend offered me one of his generic brand pills. After reading the label, I discovered that they contained the exact same ingredients, yet the generic pill was significantly cheaper. Next time I will be better informed and hopefully save some money.
This reminded me of my BSoc 205 class when we talked about how big pharmaceutical companies love to partner themselves with doctors by pampering them in preparation for giving them ample supplies of new drugs to distribute to their patients. The ultimate objective is the consumers pocket and unfortunately doctors can be puppets to push the objectives of new attractive drug products. It’s true that patients need to be informed in their doctor-patient relationship to establish the confidence in asking their healthcare provider for alternatives. If the patient can investigate enough to find out that the same ingredients are not just present, but as effective in the generic brands as the name brands, then they should talk to their doctors to ensure they are getting affordable care.
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