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Medical center to stop distributing free drug samplesPatient safety is among the leading forces driving the change of a popular practice at the New Ulm Medical Center. Beginning August 1, physicians in the medical center’s clinic will no longer distribute free drug samples to patients. “The main reason the practice is ending is our concern for the safety of our patients,” said Brenda Nielsen, RN and the clinical services manager. “Clinics everywhere are changing their practice of dispensing samples.” “When physicians dispense a free sample, there is a strict protocol as to how that sample is documented in the medical record, but there isn’t necessarily a record of that drug with the patient’s pharmacy. So if something happened where a patient was prescribed a drug that had interactions with the free sample, the pharmacist would be unaware of that interaction and the patient would be put at risk.” Nielsen said another potentially dangerous situation with distributing free samples revolves around the Food and Drug Administration and drug companies recalling medications. When drugs are prescribed but later recalled, pharmacists undergo a lengthy and complex process of determining who is taking the medication and contacting them about the recall immediately. If the drug was given as a free sample, doctors with access to the medication would have to search every patient record to find any patient who might have received the drug. “A patient’s pharmacist is the double check, they are the people with the greatest knowledge of all the medications out there and another safeguard for the patient to ensure that their entire drug profile is well-known and well-documented,” Nielsen said. “The teamwork between the pharmacist and the physician is really an important component of maintaining patient safety and not having that teamwork could create another risky situation. Jeff Messenger, clinic director, said New Ulm Medical Center is not alone in its decision to discontinue distributing free samples. “Clinics across the country are no longer offering patients free samples,” Messenger said. “This is timely and the smartest thing the medical center can do for patient safety.” If patients are interested in trying a new drug, they will be asked to make an appointment with their physician, Nielsen said.  Back to Health Edition |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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