[Which place occupies the free drug sample in the prescription of the physicians in Morocco?]

Abstract

Objectives: Do the state of affairs of the perception of free drug samples by a group of prescribers of drugs in the Morocco.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 381 physicians practising in different sectors (public, private) using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire, conducted between December 2016 and March 2017. The questionnaire focused on assessing the general knowledge of prescriber on free drug sample, medical visit of medical representative of pharmaceutical laboratory, drug prescribing and free drug sample use.

Results: In total, 381 prescribers were interviewed. Sex M/F ratio was 0.53 with a mean age of 37.4±11.2 years exerting mainly in the public sector in urban areas. According to surveyed prescribers, the drug specialties presented as free drug sample occupied 52.1 percent of their prescription. The main interest in having the free drug sample was to help the patient at low socioeconomic level but it influences the physician's prescription.

Conclusion: This survey puts in perspective the place of the free drug sample in the medical prescription with prescribers, in order to raise awareness about the ability of free drug sample to influence the medical prescription although it allows to help the patient low socio-economic level.

Keywords: Drug; Free drug sample; Médicament; Prescription; Échantillon médical gratuit.