| The Therapeutic Nightmare: The Battle Over the World's Most Controversial Tranquilizer Contributor(s): Abraham, John (Author), Sheppard, Julie (Author) |
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ISBN: 1853835528 ISBN-13: 9781853835520 Publisher: Earthscan Publications OUR PRICE: $71.25 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: September 1999 Annotation: "The Therapeutic Nightmare" tells the story of the sleeping pill, Halcion, a story which is far from over. First marketed in the 1970s, Halcion was taken by millions of patients around the world as a tranquilizer. Soon, however, it began to be associated with serious psychotropic effects: patients experienced amnesia, hallucinations, aggression and, in extreme cases, homicide. Thirteen years after its first release it was banned by the British government. It remains on sale in the United States.This book examines the interests involved - the corporate interests of the manufacturers and distributors, the professional interests of the scientists and researchers, and the medical interests of the doctors prescribing it. Above all, it explains how these contending forces are regulated - the clinical tests and how they are validated. It looks at the ways the results are disseminated, within and among countries, and analyses whether consumer groups and public health advocates are able to balance the views of those with a professional stake in the success of new drugs. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Medical | Pharmacy - Medical | Public Health - Medical | History |
| Dewey: 363.194 |
| LCCN: 2003467049 |
| Series: Health and the Environment (Hardcover) |
| Physical Information: 0.78" H x 6.23" W x 9.53" (0.90 lbs) 178 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Presents an account of how the psychotropic drug Halcion came onto the market in the UK and the US and how it was subsequently withdrawn in the UK after having serious effects on many patients - such as amnesia, suicidal behaviour and psychosis. The text is a study in the issues and difficulties of controlling the safety of new drugs, the interests at stake, the science involved and the problems confronted both by regulators and consumers. |