When they test out new medications for side effects, who are the people they use?

Question

you know with new medications or existing medications they mention the side effects. where do the people that they test the medication on to find out the side effects come from?

are they people that volunteer for it? if people volunteer, why would they do so?

do they offer money to the people?

do the people have no choice and the only way theyll survive is if the medication works as good as it claims to?

where do they come from?

Answer 1

I see adds all the time looking for people with certain conditions or age groups to participate in drug testing programs, some do pay for their cooperation.

Answer 2

Volunteers, who are either offered payment or free treatment (by an unproven medication).

Answer 3

I'm not sure but some are done with animal testing. I don't know about people lol....=]

Answer 4

People volunteer for medical and drug studies. They are offered incentives such as a full physical, free medication, and follow up care. Sometimes a small amount of money is offered for travel to and from the medical office, etc. Medication has already been tested to some degree and has a good chance of being used by the public when it comes up for mass testing. People who are suffering and have not found a reasonable medication are often anxious to test a new drug.  

Answer 5

They do studies, and people are paid a stipend to participate. Other studies, people participate as volunteers, for example, a new pancreatic cancer treatment would get volunteers with pancreatic cancer who hope it works. The people who get paid write down the side effects they experience, and tell the company.  

Answer 6

well

I'm pretty sure they test on animals here is a few links

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008...

http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/gene...

Answer 7

1. Yes, people do volunteer to be tested on.  And it's usually healthy men/women who get tested over the age of 18.  There could be many reasons why they volunteer but the only one i could think of is the easy money offered.  (So this answers the second question)

3. I don't really understand what you meant here. Depending on what chronic illness they have, I'm sure there are other drugs available or treatments/surgeries if the need arises.

4. Drugs come from pharmaceutical companies.  

Answer 8

some people who are in jail offer to do the trials---they are not offered money---they usually do it so they feel that they are giving back to the public or maybe righting their wrongs

Answer 9

The drug companies will outsource to some sort of testing facility...that facility will advertise that they are looking for certain people to test a drug and usually offer a stipend, free medical check ups, and travel expenses...then they document the findings.

I've never volunteered, but I dont have anything wrong with me...

Answer 10

I know this because my position as a journalist allows me to see some of the internal communications from medical facilities.

When a new medication undergoes trials the manufacturer will solicit human volunteers who are required to follow a very strict regimine of diet, exercise, substance use and so forth, keeping detailed records of their experiences and submit to routine testing. The subjects are made aware of the risks and must agree to the conditions and provisos of the test.

Answer 11

in the old days they used to use minorities, army men, and the sickly.... if you look it up i'm sure you'll find stuff on it

now i'm not sure... probably volunteers like the guy above me said.

Answer 12

It is usually people afflicted with whatever the meds are for.They screen a candidate before giving them the meds.Than they may give that person a placebo or the real meds to study the side effects.Sometimes they pay the Ginny pig I mean the person trying the meds.

Answer 13

actually there is a place in Springfield MO called Biotech that pays people to test new medicines in clinical studies.

Answer 14

The first answer is "Canadians". True in this case.  Our doctors invented a drug called "tamoxifin" ; breast cancer drug. Well, being high risk, I was asked if I would take part in a trial test.  It was 1992, I was 38 years old; and I thought, well, why not? Even if it was a failure, I hoped that it would help others. And, guess what? I'm cancer free, and this is a standard treatment for breast cancer today, worldwide. I'm very proud to be one of the 1200 "guinea pigs". By the way, I've never had cancer. Touch wood.

Answer 15

Canadians

Answer 16

When medications first come into existence, the creators and relevant health boards test the drugs extensively on animals.

If/when the drug passes the animal testing stage, they test them on volunteers. In the USA and Canada, it is only legal to test drugs on willing participants. These people may have been solicited directly if they have a rare medical condition. However, usually they respond to adds.

Many hospitals have boards covered in notices asking for people of a certain age, race, gender, or medical status to try experimental drugs. These adds may also be put in newspapers, TV commercials, ect.

The participants have to sign many medical release forms and liability waivers to protect the people who created the drug. They may be paid, sometimes paid a lot, and sometimes test the drugs for free out of the goodness of their hearts. People with illnesses that are otherwise untreatable may also volenteer to test the more dangerous or eccentric treatments.

Medications will not be tested on anyone at all, however, unless the medical professionals involved are sure that the drug will do more good than harm.