Fancy a free trial of an impotence drug? How about a free course of sleeping pills, or medication for high cholesterol? Consumer groups in the US are worried about the way big pharmaceutical companies give away coupons offering discounts on their prescription drugs or free trials.
鈥淭he incentive for you to buy it is irrelevant to whether that鈥檚 the best medication for you or not,鈥� says Susan Sherry of the health pressure group Community Catalyst in Boston, which has joined 22 other groups calling on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the practice.
鈥淭he incentive for you to buy it is irrelevant to whether that鈥檚 the best medication for you鈥�
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In response, the companies say that coupons help to lower health care costs and increase access. 鈥淲e believe this programme benefits patients,鈥� says a spokeswoman for Sanofi-Aventis, which offers a free seven-day trial of its insomnia pill Ambien. Patients still need to get a prescription from their doctor.
鈥淲e鈥檙e taking a look to see if FDA action is needed,鈥� says a spokeswoman for the agency.
