Thalidomide

The drug thalidomide had terrible effects on thousands of people around the world before it was banned. Who's to blame for this tragedy?

The government clearly felt some blame for this because they had it banned. The government regulation of medication given to the public should have definitely went through some adjustments. The government should definitely be taking an active role in the administrating of prescription drugs. No government should allow a drug to disable thousands of people before it realizes something is wrong with it. The government should have more strict laws to ensure this.

The drug company that researched this chemical and had it cleared for general use should definitely take some responsibility as well. They clearly did not have enough research on the drug before it was prescribed. This led to a tragedy that effected thousands. That should set off a red flag that there need to be more adequate research techniques before administering a drug.

Doctors and patients on an individual level have no where near the amount of responsibility that the drug company and government have. When it comes to a drug that is supposed to help morning sickness, nobody should feel weary about side effects that extreme. It is not up to the doctors and patients to research every prescribed drug. Although this may be helpful this is work that should already be done for the individuals.