I have done a couple of these when funds have been short or when I just have the time and want some extra cash for something or other. The money isn't bad but it isn't brilliant, I make more per day working.
Having said that you get paid for your time and any procedures they do and for return outpatient visits.
There is a risk of course and I know there are many who wouldn't entertain 'being experimented on' but it isn't quite like that. Every drug that is in use has to be 'trialed' in humans and proven to be safe or we would not have any medication at all.
The studies I have done have all been for drugs that are in use already and maybe they have altered the way it is administered or prepared. Some of the trials are just to verify that the new formulation works as before.
In fact I am tomorrow morning going into a local unit in Leeds to have a blood sample taken in preparation for a study I am down for which is coming up next week. It's 3 nights in and I think 2 outpatients for which I would get the princely sum of £650.
The last study I did was last year and IIRC it was for a drug that controlled blood sugar levels. A drug that is already in common usage all over the world. With this drug there were side effect all of which were predicted as being possible in the pre-study information. Loss of appetite, nausea, headaches etc. Some people don't react or have any side effects but I lost my appetite for about a week after I was dosed. ( great for shedding weight)
I am sure most places would have similar procedures to the unit I have attended and it goes something like:
Initial screening. To see if you meet all the appropriate criteria, ECG taken, blood pressure, urine and blood
samples taken and analysed to see if components fall within pre determined ranges.
Upon acceptance: Booked into unit. All the above done again and checked again.
If all ok: A day or so passes until the day the drug/preparation is administered. Then at set intervals
after treatment all the above checks are done again to the second.
For example if you were dosed at 10am and the study requirements are that vitals are taken every half hour for 10 hours.
At 10.30 to the second the series of tests are repeated and logged. And so on.
You may be given a placebo but no one will know. Not you nor the medical staff.
Any adverse effects are noted and monitored.
All the medical information is recorded and is available for you to read if you want to.
Meals are provided and are measured portions and are expected to be finished.
After the stay: Usually some outpatient visits which repeat all of the tests and sampling as before.
Mostly it's just kind of dull and boring and there are restrictions as to what you can and can't eat and drink before going into the unit. Such as alcohol lots of strong coffee drugs etc. Also poppy seeds are a no-no. Even one on a bread roll in the days up to your visit might give a positive.
The unit has entertainment of course TV, computers, board games, library, pool table etc but if you are in there with a good bunch of other volunteers that helps a great deal.
You get all sorts , lots of students, old gimmers, middle aged some great characters and also some real knob heads too but that's the luck of the draw.
