A recent study indicates that almost half of all doctor routinely prescribe placebos to treat certain conditions. Most of the placebos used were headache pills and vitamins, but some also use sedatives and antibiotics. The latter two really shouldn’t be classified as placebos because they do effect the body.
Doctors say they doubt that half of all doctors do it but the survey by the doctors say otherwise. Only about 5% of the doctors tell the patients they are placebos. The rest usually tell the patients that the pills are not really for their condition but they think they may help.
Medical ethicists are opposed to this practice because they say it ruins the trust in the doctor patient relationship. However, many people do respond to the pills as if they were actually working.
We’ve seen this with that cold medicine that the second grade teacher invented. I know people who think it has magic properties to kill a cold before it gets bad. It works for them because they believe it will work. It does sort of sound like a magic pill, doesn’t it?
So is it right or wrong to prescribe placebos? If they end up working, even if it works just because the person is led to believe it will work, is that wrong? I don’t have the answer, what do you think of this practice?