B1 - Medicine And Drugs Flashcards
What is an effective medicine?
It prevents or cure a disease or relieve the symptoms.
What must a medicine be to be considered successful?
- Effective
- Safe
- Stable
- Successfully inserted and removed from the body.
What is a safe drug?
The drug can’t be too toxic or have excessive side effects.
What is a stable medicine?
The medicine has to be able to be used under normal conditions and stored for some time.
How long and how much does it cost to release a new medicine?
Up to 12 years and £350 million.
What are new chemicals initially tested on?
Cells, tissues and organ
What is a new medicine tested on if successful at the first stage?
Animals such as rats and mice.
Why are new medicines tested on animals and cells?
They give an indication of requires dosage, side effects and how the drug behaves in humans.
What is the third stage of testing of a new drug?
Healthy volunteers and then a small number of patients.
Why is a new drug tested on healthy human volunteers?
To test for side effects.
Why does a new drug undergo trials?
To establish:
- its effectiveness
- its toxicity
- the appropriate dose.
What is a double-blind trial?
A clinical trial that involves the use of a placebo and the new drug with a select group of patients.
What is a placebo?
A chemical that doesn’t contain the new drug.
What will the placebo usually contain?
A different drug that is already used to treat the disease so the patient doesn’t go without treatment.
Why are new medicines tested so thoroughly?
In order to prevent cases where dangerous drugs are prescribed. An example of this is thalidomide.
