What is the primary goal of the Prescription Marketing Act of 1987?

The primary goal of the Prescription Marketing Act of 1987 is to control the distribution of drug samples. This legislation was enacted in response to concerns about the potential for improper distribution and misuse of prescription drug samples, which could lead to patient harm and increased healthcare costs. The act established requirements for the handling, distribution, and tracking of drug samples to ensure that they are used appropriately and are not being diverted for unapproved or inappropriate purposes.

By regulating how samples are provided to healthcare professionals, the act aimed to prevent unethical practices, such as excessive marketing tactics by pharmaceutical companies and the potential for samples to be sold rather than used to benefit patients. Overall, the intent was to strike a balance between promoting access to medications for patients while maintaining the integrity of the pharmaceutical distribution system.

The other options relate to different aspects of pharmaceutical policies but do not align with the specific focus of this legislation. For instance, encouraging generic drug sales and controlling drug pricing are important topics but fall under different regulatory frameworks. Enhancing the speed of drug approvals is also a key issue in pharmaceutical regulation, but it is not the primary focus of the Prescription Marketing Act.