title: Matching quality of agents employed in "double-blind" controlled clinical trials.
abstract: In an inquiry into the matching quality of preparations employed in double-blind controlled clinical trials, a panel of 4 observers studied 22 pairs of agents used in a sample of such trials, examining features which might make one preparation distinguishable from the other. 5 pairs of substances were an excellent match, being virtually indistinguishable, but in 7 pairs ther were obvious differences, detected by all 4 observers. The preparations used in cross-over studies were not specially well matched. Colour differences were most readily detected, followed by taste. The observers differed in their ability to detect differences between pairs of preparations, and 1 panel member was approximately 3 times more successful in doing so than another.
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D004304:Dosage Forms; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004349:Drug Packaging; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010919:Placebos; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D004304:Dosage Forms; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010919:Placebos