A lot of physicians use drug samples when starting a patient on a new medication. Often there is risk involved with started a patient on a new medication. Sometimes the drug doesn't work for the patient or he/she has a reaction to it. If a full prescription is written the patient is left with a bottle of pills that they can't even use; not to mention they are out the money spent on the medication. Physicians see samples as a way of saving the patient money and allowing them to test out a new treatment. I found a few articles online that talk about this subject, they can be found below. The Institution for Safe Medical Practices posted a safety alert regarding the use of prescription drug samples.The alert states that while these free samples are useful for patients just beginning the medication or that only need a small dosage, precautions should be taken. The alert gives information on what instructions should be given to a patient when drug samples are distributed. Specifically mentioned are instructions on the frequency in which the medication should be taken, the amount that should be taken, any special precautions for use and potential side effects that can be expected. To read this safety alert visit http://www.ismp.org/newsletters/consumer/alerts/Samples.asp Matthew Paulson posted an article on the community published Web site Associate Content. Paulson also suggests to readers to ask their physician about drug samples when given a new prescription. He suggests that if drug samples are not available, call around to various pharmacies in your area for the best price on your prescription. Drug prices vary by pharmacy, and you could save up to 50 percent just by calling around. To read Paulson's article visit http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/245907/save_money_on_prescription_drugs_with.html?cat=5 The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Consumer Magazine published an article on ways to save money on prescription drugs. One suggestion is communicating with your physician on what you can afford in terms of prescription drugs. Ask if a generic version of the drug is an option or ask for resources on financial assistance from the government and/or pharmaceutical drug companies. Another option the article gives is drug samples. Most pharmaceutical companies give doctors samples of their most popular drugs to give to patients that are unsure of how the drug will affect them. While this isn't a long term option, it could provide some short term relief to lower income patients. The FDA article can be found online at http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/505_save.html.