Biomaterial Database

Clinical trials in psychopharmacology: scientific and ethical issues. 1979

P Sarteschi, and G B Cassano, and J Levine

Istituto di Clinica Psichiatrica dell'Università di Pisa, Italy.

1. The ethical and scientific use of medicines for the treatment of illness rests upon proof that the medicines to be used are effective and safe for the condition to be treated. The use of the clinical trial is the method by which such evidence is produced. 2. Recent activities by some to decry clinical trials as unethical and restrict their conduct results in the totally unacceptable situation of withholding potentially valuable treatments from patients or subjecting patients to the unnecessary risks of treatments not proven safe and efficacious. These actions can lead to a new dark age of "chemotherapeutic blood letting and purgatives" under the guise of higher ethical purposes.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011600	Psychopharmacology	The study of the effects of drugs on mental and behavioral activity.
D011619	Psychotropic Drugs	A loosely defined grouping of drugs that have effects on psychological function. Here the psychotropic agents include the antidepressive agents, hallucinogens, and tranquilizing agents (including the antipsychotics and anti-anxiety agents).	Psychoactive Agent,Psychoactive Agents,Psychoactive Drug,Psychopharmaceutical,Psychopharmaceuticals,Psychotropic Drug,Psychoactive Drugs,Agent, Psychoactive,Agents, Psychoactive,Drug, Psychoactive,Drug, Psychotropic,Drugs, Psychoactive,Drugs, Psychotropic
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man