After you have learned how medicines and medical devices are approved for patient care, and how clinical trials work, you may be interested in exploring additional resources, such as these:  

• National Institute of Health publications:

• http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/info/understand

• http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/info/glossary

• "FDA Finds New Ways to Speed Treatments to Patients" http://www.fda.gov/fdac/special/newdrug/speeding.html

• PhRMA: Research and development of drugs: http://www.phrma.org/node/207

• Medical Device Development: Design, Engineering, Testing, and Legal Issues Protection-Steps in the Process to Success: http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v104/n3/full/ajg200819a.html