[justlurking]

come on you say a dry pill of thalidomide can release enough medication through the skin to be teratogenic? why isn’t it delivered as an enteric coated pill, so that such contamination by casual contact would be impossible?

I found the NIH info here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001053/

It's in in a capsule. The threat of contamination is really the risk of handling a broken or leaking capsule.

There are many more warnings and restrictions. You have to see a doctor every month to refill the prescription.

If you are a woman that can become pregnant, you have to use two forms of birth control 4 weeks before, during, and 4 weeks after treatment (or abstain entirely from sex).

While you are taking it, all of your bodily fluids are contaminated -- which means that everyone around you must take special precautions.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Ah, a liquidgel.

If you were a thalidomide patient and you spit on a pregnant woman — could you be convicted of the crime of mayhem?