Abstract

The history of benzodiazepine supply, as negotiated in the GDR following its commercial success in western markets in 1960, demonstrates how patients in East Germany (GDR) influenced drug policies by assuming the role of consumers. This article traces general political discussions on psycho-pharmaceuticals as essential components of a healthcare system that faced grave financial constraints, then focuses on the “Wunschverordnung” concept, that is, a prescription that was filled on request. This concept was ideologically employed to portray the rising demand for tranquilizer drugs as inadequate. The ways in which citizens of the GDR influenced state decisions—import and production alike—on tranquilizer supply through petitions is investigated. The article concludes by discussing the scope and function of the activist role of patients as consumers in a socialist state.