Okuzeka
Pharmacy & Pharmacology vocabulary · Clinical Trials and Drug Development

Randomized controlled trial

Meaning in pharmacy & pharmacology, with examples

nounCommon term

In pharmacy & pharmacology, randomized controlled trial means: A study in which participants are put into groups by chance, one receiving the treatment being tested and another a placebo or standard treatment, so results can be fairly compared.

In Turkish: randomize kontrollü çalışma, randomize kontrollü araştırma

How it is used

Shortened to RCT and seen as the most reliable way to test whether a treatment works. Random allocation (randomisation) balances other factors between the groups. Pharmacists read RCTs when evaluating evidence, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses combine the results of several RCTs. British texts spell it 'randomised'.

Example sentences

  1. A large randomized controlled trial found no benefit from the supplement.

  2. Is there any evidence from randomized controlled trials, or only from observational studies?

Common collocations

  • conduct a randomized controlled trial
  • large randomized controlled trial
  • evidence from RCTs
  • systematic review
  • clinical trialA research study in people that tests whether a new medicine or treatment is safe and works, usually by comparing it with a placebo or an existing treatment.
  • double-blindDescribes a trial in which neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the real treatment and who is receiving a placebo or comparator.
  • placeboA dummy treatment that looks like the real medicine but contains no active ingredient, used in clinical trials for comparison with the drug being tested.
  • endpointThe main outcome a clinical trial measures to decide whether a treatment works, such as survival, the number of heart attacks or a change in blood pressure.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Clinical Trials and Drug Development

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.