When you sign this, you are saying that you understand what is going to happen and that you agree to participate. Even after you have started a clinical trial, you are free to quit at any time, for any reason. Quitting early will not affect your medical care in the future. It will not cost you anything because you are helping the researchers to test a new medicine. Sometimes you may even get extra money to pay for your time or travel.
Clinical trials can last from a few weeks to several months.
After the treatment is over, they will usually ask you to come back for some follow-up visits. The follow-up period may be as short as a few weeks or as long as 6 months, and helps to make sure that you are safe. It usually takes about 10 years for a drug to be developed and approved for prescription. Many people would like to take the newest medicine as soon as it is proven to work. However, even after a drug has been successful in a Phase III trial, it still may take 6 to 12 months before that drug is approved for prescription.