Dangerous Drugs has been much ^HERE the lay press recently

comment in

l4 3)

on

(see page

the dangerous side elTects of

drugs. Of these, of t,ariPUs nalidornide has seized most

course,

of the

Public interest, partly from the affected and jrer0rri ofthe people horror of awaiting

ncy which may

?nstrosity.

The

turn

out

headlines

num-

partly

a

pregbe a in The

to

'lc?n: "The worst medical tragedy the century" are sadly justifiable, g th e ^.e sensational tones elsewhere,

religious overtones, and the news .; to one particular case, ^iven rs-. Finkbine, are more likely to stir

.?Verao? erage

^ p

than to resolve them. ^??ns ne might hope that out of this good? might cle|edy the indications for ter r.er thinking of unwanted pregnancies J^'nation ut in view of the failure of

tr

come

some

on

131

L

Mr. Kenneth Robinson's careful efforts to amend the Abortion Law in this country, it would be optimistic to suppose that any progress here can yet be made.

More

collaboration

But thalidomide is not the only offender. Oral contraceptives have also been in the news (see page 143) where the Guardian's medical correspondent describes the Family Planning Association's advice as "spinechilling" and is, in his turn, rebuked for being dramatic. What effect will all this have on the patient's confidence in his own doctor and the drugs he is given? More collaboration between chemists is and doctors clearly

desirable.