| The Therapeutic Nightmare: The battle over the world's most controversial sleeping pill Contributor(s): Abraham, John (Author), Sheppard, Julie (Author) |
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ISBN: 1853836508 ISBN-13: 9781853836503 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $27.50 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: October 2009 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 (Paperback) |
| Physical Information: 0.59" H x 6.05" W x 9.21" (0.70 lbs) 196 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: How do drugs get to the market? What controls are there and what procedures for monitoring their effects? And how adequate are the regulators in protecting public health when new drugs have serious side effects? The Therapeutic Nightmare tells the story of the sleeping pill Halcion - a story which is far from over. First marketed in the 1970s, Halcion has been taken by millions of patients around the world. For many years it has been associated with serious adverse effects such as 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 and many other countries. This book explains why patients have come to be exposed to Halcion's risks and examines the corporate interests of the manufacturers, the professional interests of the scientists and medical researchers and the interests of patients in safe and effective medication. It reveals how these contending forces shape the regulatory decision-making process about drug safety. As the number of new drugs and health products grows, a major challenge facing regulators and the medical profession is how to put the interests of public health decisively and consistently above the commercial interests of the drugs industry, while becoming more accountable to patient and consumer organizations. |