 In 1960 , Kelsey was hired by the FDA in Washington , D.C. At that time , she " was one of only seven full @-@ time and four young part @-@ time physicians reviewing drugs " for the FDA . One of her first assignments at the FDA was to review an application by Richardson <unk> for the drug thalidomide ( under the tradename <unk> ) as a tranquilizer and painkiller with specific indications to prescribe the drug to pregnant women for morning sickness . Even though it had already been approved in Canada and more than 20 European and African countries , she withheld approval for the drug and requested further studies . Despite pressure from thalidomide 's manufacturer , Kelsey persisted in requesting additional information to explain an English study that documented a nervous system side effect . 
