Drugs

• Painkillers relieve pain by reducing symptoms
• Antibiotics kill or prevent the growth of bacteria causing the problem without killing your own body cells. Different antibiotics kill different types of bacteria.
• Antibiotics don't destroy viruses which reproduce using your body cells
• Aspirin (developed from willow) is a painkiller and used to lower fever.
• Digitalis (developed from foxgloves) is used to treat heart conditions
• Alexander Fleming found that a mould growing on his petri dishes was producing a substance which killed bacteria - penicillin
• 1. Preclinical testing on human tissues and cells
  2. Preclinical testing on at least 2 live mammals to test efficacy (whether drug works), toxicity (how harmful it is) and the best dosage (concentration that should be given)
  3. Clinical trial on healthy human volunteers to ensure there are no harmful side effects to a normally working body (low dose given which is gradually increased). Placebo effect allowed and many use doubleblind trial too.
  4. Clinical trial on those suffering with the illness. Placebo effect allowed and many use doubleblind trial too.
  5. Peer review to prevent false claims
• Efficacy (whether drug works)
• Toxicity (how harmful it is)
• Dosage (concentration that should be given)