Leaving the Trial

What happens when the trial ends?

When a trial ends, you will have an “exit interview”. If you didn’t know which drug you were taking, you may be told during this interview. If the trial ends early because the drug didn’t work or was too dangerous, you should be told this. You may be able to continue to get the drug after the trial ends, but there is no guarantee of this. Sometimes, only enough drug is made for the trial, and the drug company decides not to make more.

What medical care will I get once the trial is over?

Make sure you know how to get medical care at all times, including after you leave the trial. The trial site may agree to provide you with medical care once the trial is over, but you should discuss this with the study coordinator beforehand. Continuing medical care may not be possible.

Can I get the drug once the trial is over?

Trials sometimes promise people drugs when the trial ends. Please check with your study doctor.

How do I leave the trial?

You can choose to leave the trial at any time, and this should not change the care you get at the hospital or clinic in the future. If you get sick because of the drug and are asked to leave the trial, the people running the trial should make sure your medical needs are taken care of, but they might not pay for it.

What Other Questions Should I Ask?

Answers to the questions listed below will help you make an informed decision about whether or not you want to be part of a particular trial. You have the right to have all your questions answered. Some should be answered in the informed consent form, which the study coordinator will go over with you. Go over your questions with your doctor before meeting with the study doctor. Feel free to ask any other questions about anything that concerns you.

Don’t feel you are asking too many questions or taking up too much time. Clinical trials need human participants like you to find out if the treatment works. You are a volunteer who deserves thanks for your effort.

It is a good idea to write down the answers to the questions so that you can go over them and think about them later. You may want to have a friend with you who can remind you of questions or write down the answers for you.

Some questions can’t always be answered, such as the long-term side effects of a new drug. Trials are conducted to find out the answers to questions such as these. The trial coordinator will tell you what might happen, but may also have to say that they just don’t know yet. You will have to decide if you are willing to take the risks that a trial involves.

As long as an experimental treatment is still in any phase of trial, no one can be sure how well it will work, or even if it will work at all. Taking part in a trial may or may not be beneficial to you. The more you are informed about available treatments, the better able you will be to make a decision. Talk to other people who are in a clinical trial or call a community organization that works with people with this particular condition.