Your Rights as a Research Participant

At Apollo Pact, we believe that people who step forward to participate in clinical research — especially psychedelic studies — deserve more than protection. They deserve to be seen, heard, and respected as partners in the future of medicine.

As a research participant, you have the following rights:

1. Be Treated with Respect and Dignity You are a whole person — not a subject, not a case number. You have the right to be treated with dignity, agency, and recognition of your lived experience throughout every stage of a study.

2. Understand What You're Agreeing To Before joining any study, you have the right to receive clear, honest information about its purpose, what will be asked of you, how long it will last, and what risks and potential benefits are involved — in plain language you can understand. If participation requires you to taper or discontinue any current medications, you have the right to be clearly informed of this before consenting — including the timeline, associated risks, and what support will be provided during that process. You should never be asked to stop a medication without a plan in place. You also have the right to know what happens if you need to restart a medication during the study — and what support will be available if that happens.

3. Make a Free and Informed Choice You have the right to say yes or no to participating, free from pressure, manipulation, or fear of losing access to care. No one may use force, fraud, coercion, or undue influence to obtain your consent.

4. Ask Questions and Get Honest Answers At any point — before, during, or after a study — you can ask questions and expect straightforward answers from the research team. If something is unclear, you have the right to ask again.

5. Know Your Alternatives You have the right to be informed about other available treatments or options outside the study. This research should never be presented as your only path.

6. Know Your Study Was Independently Reviewed Every federally regulated clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) — an independent ethics committee that exists to protect participant rights and safety. You can ask who reviewed the study and how to contact them.

7. Have Your Privacy Protected Your personal and health information must be kept confidential in accordance with applicable law. You have the right to know who will access your data, how it will be used, and how it will be stored or shared.

8. Receive Copies of Everything You Sign You are entitled to a copy of the informed consent form and any materials you agree to. You should always have a record of what you agreed to and why.

9. Know What Happens If You're Hurt You have the right to be told in advance whether medical treatment or compensation is available if you experience a research-related injury, and how to access it.

10. Withdraw Without Penalty You can stop participating at any time, for any reason, without needing to explain yourself. Withdrawal should not affect your access to care or treatment you were receiving prior to or outside of the study.

11. Speak Up — And Know Where to Turn If something feels wrong — a safety issue, an ethical concern, or a communication problem — you have the right to raise it. You can report concerns to the IRB overseeing the study or the study sponsor. Apollo Pact is also here to help you understand your options and navigate next steps. Federal regulations prohibit retaliation against participants who raise concerns.

12. Know How Your Participation Contributes You have the right to ask how your participation contributes to scientific understanding, and to inquire about access to study findings once they become available. Your contribution matters — not just for science, but for future patients, families, and communities.

Apollo Pact is a nonprofit patient advocacy organization. This document is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For study-specific questions, please contact your research team or IRB directly.

At Apollo Pact, we were founded by people who have walked this path — as participants, as advocates, and as believers in the power of ethical research. We're here to support your experience navigating clinical research with trust, transparency, and compassion.

If you have questions, concerns, or want help navigating a clinical trial, reach out to us at hello@apollopact.org

We believe research should serve people — not the other way around.