Benefits to Patients

It must be emphasized that the development of a biochemical-genetic screen which is worth the cost is an ongoing evolutionary process which must start, on a modest level, with what is available. It assumes that the large expenditures for basic biochemical or molecular studies will provide new insight into disease, resulting in new diagnostic tests of greater precision (i.e., that research is worth the cost). 

We do not here review in detail the value of individual tests or groups of tests. Rather, we stress that test evaluation must be a continuing large-scale effort and that such evaluation can only do the patient good. The technical conclusion is that since the number of tests done will probably increase rapidly, the amount required for any given test must decrease proportionately (i.e., the pressure toward microminiaturization will increase). 

If the individual is to achieve maximum benefit, the results must be available to the attending physician rapidly and in an intelligible form. The data must also be available at any later date to any individual-designated physician anywhere. 

A comprehensive biochemical survey of newborns and of mothers will turn up a large number of minor anomalies which neither suggest nor justify any known therapy. In many instances, the early history of a disease is not sufficiently well known to allow its identification in initial stages. Thus both anomalous qualitative values and true genetic abnormalities 

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The common objective of all pharmaceutical companies is to discover, develop and market safe and effective medicines that will bring benefits to patients and consumers and result in profitable returns to the company. In this process it is important that, at all stages in the life cycle of a pharmaceutical product, the needs and interests... 

Sixth, clinical protocols may offer patients additional resources that are not routinely available in clinical practice. These additional resources may provide health benefits to patients. For example, protocols offering extensive home care services may affect the observed benefits of a therapy if the nursing intervention improves the management of the patient s illness. This could result in a bias in the study design if there are differences in the amount of home care services provided to patients in the treatment and control arms of a trial, or may result in additional health benefits to all study patients. 

Although new may imply better, it is not known whether the potential medical treatment offers benefit to patients until clinical research on that treatment is complete. Clinical trials are an integral part of new product discovery and development and are required by the Food and Drug Administration before a new product can be brought to the market. 

Promotional items of insignificant value, provided free of charge, are permissible as long as they are related to the healthcare provider s work and/or entail a benefit to patients. 

The In-Vitro-Diagnostic (IVD)-Directive [1] requires manufacturers to assure traceability of assigned values to calibrators and trueness control materials to reference measurement procedures and/or reference materials of a higher order, where available. This is a legal requirement for products marketed in Europe, and manufacturers are interested in applying the principle of traceability on a global scale, because it allows products to be marketed world-wide. The benefit to patients and users is perceived as the direct comparability of laboratory measurement results over regions and time. 

Despite the numerous animal studies in which neuropeptides (analogues of adrenocorticotrophic hormone, vasopressin, cholecystokinin, beta-endorphin) have been shown to have potent and reproducible effects in facilitating learning and memory, there is to date no convincing evidence to suggest that these drugs are of any therapeutic benefit to patients with Alzheimer s disease. 

Most side effects, such as transient yellowing of the skin and conjunctiva, a fluorescent cast to the mane, and the warm flush or early nausea occurring within 30 seconds of injection, can be explained to the patient before the procedure. Some practitioners advocate prophylaxis for nausea and vomiting, including administration of prochlorperazine, promethazine, or trimethoben-zamide, although there is no conclusive evidence for their benefit to patients. For patients likely to develop mticaria, premedication with systemic antihistamines is possible. Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam, may also be useful to control anxiety. 

Explaining is one of a pharmacist s most frequently used skills and lies at the heart of pharmacy practice. It is basically an informative function but also has an educational role with regard to public health. The area will continue to expand as pharmacists engage in new roles, such as medicines use reviews (MURs), pharma-cist-led clinics, pharmacist prescribing, etc. If pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are to maximise their potential roles it is essential that their communication skills are maintained to provide positive health benefits to patients. 

A description of the scope and aims of the research, and whether or not there may be benefits to patients exposed to the test medications. The foreseeable risks and discomforts should also be disclosed. The possibility of placebo treatment and the probability of being treated with each test therapy should be stated. 

Many other experimental strategies are under development in the global fight against AD. It is impossible to predict which of them will provide in the future some benefit to patients with AD. It is very likely that the vast majority of successful studies at the preclinical level will become a scientific frustration when they reach the stage of formal clinical trials. In addition to the proposals postulated in Subheading 6.1-6.113, many other candidate substances and... 

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