King AC, et al. - Researchers studied a national sample of US outpatient practices delivering primary care to ascertain the prevalence of detailing and sample closets. In the United States, pharmaceutical companies spend more on clinician office visits (also known as detailing) and free drug samples (also known as sample closets) than any other forms of professional marketing (totaling $18.5 billion in 2016). Detailing and free samples influence prescribing quality and expenses, often by encouraging new and expensive brand-name drugs over equally effective, older, and less expensive options.