“I thought it was for guys that did needles”: Medication perceptions and lay expertise among medical research participants

Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examine “objective” indicators of safety and efficacy of investigational drugs, participants may not perceive study medications as neutral entities. Some medications are imbued with social and cultural meaning, such as stigmatized medications for opioid use disorders. Such perceptions surrounding substa nce use treatments can extend to the research context and shape RCT participants' experiences with and adherence to study medications.
Source: Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment - Category: Addiction Authors: Source Type: research