Chronic migraines may have been affecting your livelihood for much of your adult life and maybe the prescription medication that you are taking isn't as effective as you wish it was. If your doctor has mentioned a breakthrough drug to you and told you that there is a clinical trial being held in the near future, you may be curious about becoming a participant.
What Is Involved?
Clinical trials take place in medical centers, hospitals, or in private practices. They involve seeking interested participants and monitoring the outcome of each dosage. With some trials, participants will need to remain onsite for the duration of the trial and with some medications, this could involve staying overnight.
The purpose of careful monitoring is to ensure that an adverse reaction does not occur that would require medical intervention. In most cases, testing has already been performed and a distinct group of side effects has been identified. All of this information will be divulged prior to being given a dosage of the trial medication.
You can even sign up for a clinical trial and then decline to become an active participant if you have decided that you do not want to continue with the process. As a participant, you may be eligible for free product samples or you could receive compensation for your participation.
Who Is Accepted?
You will need to fit into a target group, in order to be deemed eligible for the trial. Since you are interested in trying a drug that has been formulated to target migraines, each person who is accepted into the study will likely be experiencing migraines on a routine basis that require the participants to treat the pain with medication.
If you are still taking your previously prescribed medication on occasion, you will need to refrain from using this product while the study is underway. A clinical monitor's job is to record information that pertains solely to the medication that has been administered, so no other outside influences should come into play.
A brief medical history, including information about your migraines and the medicine that you have been taking, will be noted prior to your acceptance into the program. Report back to your doctor once the clinical trial has concluded. Your input may affect your future treatment plan and if the new medication is placed on the market and you responded well to it, it may become a part of your new treatment schedule.
To learn more, contact a clinical research organization in your area.
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