Drug rechallenge and patients' rights.
Challenging a hypersensitive patient with a potentially harmful drug is most important to the development of medical knowledge. However, it does not always serve the interest of the particular patient. In order to protect the interest of an individual patient, one must abstain from challenge unless it is vital to the health of the particular patient at the time and has no substitute. Patients' rights demand the establishment of limitations and guidelines for the procedure of rechallenge in all its aspects. An approach which will bring physicians closer to a solution, which will protect the patient from uncontrolled decisions and from unnecessary risks, is suggested.
Wolf
R
R
Department of Dermatology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Ichilov Hospital, Israel.
Wolf
O
O
D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards*; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D036302:Therapeutic Human Experimentation