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The distribution of drug samples by physicians to patients is commonplace. In 2007, 78% of physicians reported receiving drug samples, and more than one third were pediatricians or family practitioners. Providing samples allows parents to test whether their child will tolerate a medicine and gives uninsured or low-income patients access to drugs. However, samples often do not have pediatric dosing labels, child-resistant packaging, or instructions for how to manage accidental ingestion. To describe factors associated with distribution of free drug samples in pediatric populations, researchers analyzed data on more than 10,000 children (younger than 18 years) whose families participated in the nationally representative 2004 Medical Expenditu…