Questions: A pharmaceutical representative visits the primary care physicians' offices in a community to discuss recently developed medications. What does the 1983 Orphan Drug Act give pharmaceutical companies the financial incentive to do? a. Develop medications for diseases that affect only à small number of people. b. Give samples to health clinics. c. Develop medication for orphaned children. d. Develop medications requested by the local community.

The answer is a. Develop medications for diseases that affect only a small number of people.

The 1983 Orphan Drug Act was specifically designed to encourage pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments for rare diseases, which are conditions that affect a small percentage of the population. These diseases are often overlooked because the potential market for such drugs is limited, making them less profitable. The Act provides various incentives, including tax credits, grant funding, and market exclusivity, to make the development of these drugs more financially viable.

While pharmaceutical companies often provide samples to health clinics as part of their marketing strategies, this practice is not specifically incentivized by the Orphan Drug Act. The Act focuses on the development of drugs for rare diseases rather than the distribution of samples.

The term "orphan drug" refers to medications for rare diseases, not specifically to drugs for orphaned children. The Orphan Drug Act does not specifically target the development of medications for orphaned children, although some rare diseases may affect children.

The Orphan Drug Act does not provide incentives for developing medications based on local community requests. Its primary aim is to address the needs of patients with rare diseases, regardless of the community they belong to.