In many cases there are a strict set of guidelines that all participants must meet in order to be considered for clinical research trials, and your physician can help you discover whether or not you are eligible. If the good news comes in that you are accepted, then you’ll be randomly selected to receive a new medicine, a medicine already considered to be standard therapy, or a placebo (an inactive substance used to compare results with an active substance). Typically, a computer will assign you to the one of the treatment options as this prevents even the researcher from knowing which medicine/treatment you are receiving; biased is impossible.

However, and this is very important, if you are suffering from a serious disease, you won’t be given a placebo unless there isn’t an effective treatment available.

The next step is for you to give your consent, and then you’ll be given a structured program you must follow. The program will cover the schedule of tests, doctor appointments, treatments, and in some cases dietary restrictions. You might also be asked to keep a diary of experiences.

Clinical research trials are typically sponsored, which means the cost of medicine, medical tests, and even your time are financially covered. The financial reimbursement of your time is based on the amount of time you are inconvenienced.

In the end, when the clinical research trial is completed, there is a possibility that if the medicine you receive is still in development, you could still continue to receive additional doses as an extension of the study. Also, if it all works out, the new medicine may become available to the general public.