“one of the two placebo groups received far more thorough monitoring. They essentially went through a large part of the first assessment every week, and the prescribing doctor would change either the placebo (to another placebo) or the dose of the placebo in response to any concerns”
Source: Magic placebo more effective than ordinary placebo | Ars Technica
Placebo pills may help us but they don’t have the same effect as medicine. In response to the earlier article on the high rate of prescription of placebos in Germany and Bavaria, here’s a response that seeks to temper the hype:
Placebo is used in medicine in two quite distinct ways. The first, the one we are all familiar with, is the “sugar” pill given by doctors to patients to instil hope. These keep them happy while time and nature get on with healing. As reported, it is “a question of trust”.
Placebos prescribed by half of all German doctors! In a recent report it was also revealed that in Bavaria, a staggering 88% of GPs have seen patients off with prescriptions for placebos.
The German Medical Association (BÄK), which commissioned the report, Placebos in Medicine, admitted that it doesn’t fully understand how placebos work, but welcomed the report’s findings.
“Placebos have a stronger impact and are more complex than we realised. They are hugely important in medicine today,” says Christoph Fuchs, the managing director of the BÄK.
The report recommends that students and doctors should be taught about placebos and their usage.
“Placebos can maximise the effect of medication,” says Robert Jütte, author of the study and a BÄK board member.
“They can reduce undesirable side-effects and are a more efficient usage of our healthcare budget.”
via Half of all German doctors prescribe placebos, new study shows | Science | The Guardian.
Statistics like these show us that humble little placebo pills certainly have a place in our modern age!
We are here to offer the power of genuine placebos to the world!
