Conflicts of Interest

Interactions with Vendors and Other Commercial Entities

Pharmaceutical Samples

Physicians and staff may not accept pharmaceutical samples for their own personal use or for distribution to patients or family members. Distributing sample drugs would place physicians in a drug dispensing role, subject to applicable laws and regulations.

There will be only two circumstances that warrant an exception to this prohibition:

• If there is a compelling medical necessity to treat an urgent condition, where immediate treatment prior to leaving the physician's office will alter the clinical outcome
• If there is a need to demonstrate appropriate use of a product

In these exceptional cases, the minimum possible sample should be given. Appropriate documentation of the medication dispensed or the device utilized must be entered in the patient's medical record.