Essay On Thalidomide

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Recommended: Aspects of medication safety

Medicines are chemicals which are used to cure, stop or prevent diseases, illnesses and ease symptoms. Some medicines are produced in the laboratory by mixing chemicals, while others are found in nature, such as from plants. With the progression of medicines, doctors have been able to save lives and cure several diseases. Not taking medication can prevent a person from not doing everyday activities and also lead to other health problems. There are many reasons why people do not take medicines which include the cost, side effects and forgetfulness. Medicines can be available as over the counter where supervision is not needed; or from a pharmacy where a pharmacist will ask a series of questions. Some medicines require a prescription from a GP or other healthcare professional. In many countries, before a medicine can be used for treatment, it has to be licensed. This license can only be issued if the medicine meets the standards of safety and quality (League, 2014).
This essay will attempt to describe why the drug thalidomide was once referred to as the wonder drug and why it was considered a safe drug that could taken by pregnant women. The essay will also discuss one of the hypotheses behind morning sickness and why medical researchers disagree with the term morning sickness. In addition, the reasons why thalidomide is said to cause birth defects will also be examined, and the general purpose of clinical trials for medicinal products which will include the arguments for and against all children’s medicines to be formally tested.
In 1954, the German pharmaceutical company called Grünenthal developed a drug called thalidomide which was launched on 1st October 1957. Grünenthal found thalidomide to be a successful effective tranquilis...

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...sure that they work and they are safe. Their aim is to protect the public health through regulation, helping people use these products and making sure they understand the risks and benefits. The MHRA issues a marketing authorisation if medicines are approved (MHRA, About us, 2014).
Before medicinal products can be sold or given to patients, they need to have a marketing authorisation. Information about the product is considered before this authorisation is granted to make sure that it is safe and useful and that the quality of the product is adequate. Clinical trials are carried out find out data on the safety and the desired effect of the new products. These trials can be performed using healthy volunteers or patients which depend on the type of product and the stage of which the products development is at (MHRA, About clinical trials for medicinal products, 2011).

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