How to Participate in Pharmaceutical Drug Trials

Pharmaceutical drug trials, also called clinical drug trials, are a process in which participants take an experimental medication to test its effects. During these trials some of the subjects get the actual drug while others receive a placebo. Researchers record the differences between the two groups, any side effects and success rates. Participating in a drug trial should be considered carefully before signing up.

Instructions

• 1

  Locate a drug trial that you want to participate in by contacting hospitals and medical research centers directly. If you have a specific condition, contact the specific department at the hospital to inquire about drug trials. If you are interested in general drug trials, a research university may be the best option since it may have many experimental programs available.

• 2

  Verify that you qualify for the trial by reading the list of eligibility criteria provided by the researchers. Some trials require that you have a certain disease while others require that you have no existing health problems. Other trials are based on gender, ethnicity or age.

• 3

  Read the drug trial guidelines carefully before you sign the informed consent paperwork. Make sure you can commit to taking the drugs as often as necessary and can attend all required on-site examinations. Also read the confidentiality agreement to determine how much of your personal information will be included in the final report.

• 4

  Attend the pre-trial physical examination given by one of the research doctors. This examination is an extensive exam to document your current health.

• 5

  Take the required medication in the exact manner and dosage as instructed by the researchers.

• 6

  Write down any side effects, such as dizziness, rashes, sleepiness or any other symptoms you experience while on the drug. Pharmaceutical drug trials usually require a daily written journal so the researchers can effectively track all side effects.

• 7

  Report back to the researchers at required intervals until the end of the trial.