Medicine and the Law: A Case of Minoxidil-Induced Hypertrichosis

In 1990, a 48-year-old West Indian woman with severe hypertension sued the district health authority and doctors for not warning her about the adverse effects of minoxidil, which she was prescribed. Minoxidil caused excessive hair growth and darkening of her face, leading to distress and social limitations. Despite the known side effect of hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth), which is dose-dependent and should reverse 1-3 months after stopping the drug, the patient was not adequately informed. She took minoxidil from December 1982 to August 1985, with doses increasing up to 50 mg daily, and experienced significant hair growth and skin pigmentation changes. The defendants offered a settlement of £1500 plus costs in March 1990, which the plaintiff accepted. The case highlighted the duty of prescribers to inform patients about likely adverse effects, especially when increasing doses or continuing treatment started by another physician.