Republished November 15, 2024
Medicines are costly. So it's no surprise that most people are thankful when they leave the doctor's office with samples of medicine(s) they need to take. Of course, doctors don't have samples of every medicine. They only have samples of certain medicines that drug companies provide to them. So, when your doctor wants you to try a new medicine, they may be able to give you a small supply of samples to take home. This way, they can make sure that you tolerate the medicine and that it works as expected before you have to pay for a prescription.
Samples may save you a trip to the pharmacy, too. But unfortunately, there are also a few hidden dangers that you should know about when taking sample medicines.
When your doctor gives you samples, they may tell you how much of the medicine to take and how often to take it. But they may not write down the instructions for you. If they do, most likely they'll write the instructions on a piece of paper, not on the label of your sample medicine. If you don't keep the instructions with your samples, you may lose it and forget how much medicine to take.
If you get your medicine from a pharmacy, your pharmacist will double check that the medicine is safe for you to take. Your pharmacist will use their computer system to: check that you are not allergic to the medicine or any of its ingredients, check that the dose is safe for you, and make sure that there are no bad effects from taking this medicine along with your other medicines. You will also get a printed leaflet about the medicine to read. In addition, your prescription bottle will be labeled with instructions on how to take the medicine, along with any special instructions, like take on an empty stomach.
If you get sample medicine from your doctor's office, there's no pharmacist involved. Often, there's no leaflet about your medicine to read. Your samples may not be labeled with directions on how to take the medicine. Your doctor may not know if the medicine will interact with other medicines you take or if you have an allergy to any of its ingredients. Instead, he may have to rely on his memory about you and your medicine when deciding whether the sample medicine is safe for you to take. That's not to say that your doctor will make a mistake. But when it comes to medicine, it's always best to have both your doctor and pharmacist involved.
Here's what you can do: If you doctor gives you a sample of medicine, find out how long you should take the medicine, and what to do when the samples run out. Ask your doctor about side effects of the medicine and what to do if you experience them. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you are currently taking, including over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about allergies you have to foods and medicines. Ask your doctor for written information about your medicine. If he has none, consider stopping at your pharmacy to ask your pharmacist for a leaflet on the medicine. You can also look online by searching for the name of the medicine. The next time you are at your pharmacy, tell your pharmacist if you have been taking sample medicines when you have prescriptions filled. Keep sample medicines away from children. Sample medicines may not come in child-resistant packages.
