An Economic Perspective on Sampling in Dermatology
Background: Medication samples are defined by the United States Code of Federal Regulations as small quantities of prescription drugs intended to promote the sale of medications and not permitted to be sold. Objectives: The use of samples is controversial, particularly in dermatology. We sought out to examine the pros and cons of sampling practices in regard to patient care. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted using the terms “drug sample” or “medication sample” within the title of articles. Filters used included articles published from “2000–2024”, studies performed on “humans”, and publications in “English”. Results: Of the 55 papers relevant to the study, none discussed solely the advantages of samples in dermatology, 1/55 (1.8%) discussed solely the disadvantages of samples in dermatology, and 6/55 (10.9%) discussed both the advantages and disadvantages of samples in dermatology. Conclusions: Several advantages and disadvantages of sampling with specific regard to dermatology were appreciated. To fully understand the implications of sampling in dermatology, further insight is needed.
