[Psychochemicals crossing the wall. The introduction of psychoactive pharmaceuticals in the German Democratic Republic--a perspective from the new historiography of drugs]

Abstract

In recent years, the development, certification, and marketing of drugs has become an important field of research in the Science Studies. Attempting to analyse the growing complexity of the modern health care market, researchers have focused on the close links between pharmaceutical industry, clinical research, and drug regulation in Western Europe and North America. However, corresponding developments behind the Iron Curtain have received little attention. This article outlines a research project that analyses the history of psychoactive pharmaceuticals in East Germany from the perspective of the new historiography of drugs. The paper summarizes the central themes of recent research, provides an overview of the development of the major pharmaceutical substances, and surveys the history of these substances in the GDR in relation to drug legislation and state control of the pharmaceutical market.