💊 Can Placebos Be Prescribed on Purpose?

Pharmacy
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22

I don’t think so it’s ethical to give a patient placebo, as they are paying us for the real deal.

23

Interesting post! Placebos may have no active drug, but they still help in conditions like pain or anxiety just because the patient believes it’s real.
Amazing how powerful our brain is in healing!

24

Placebos help in cases where the patient feels anxious regarding certain diseases. It helps in stabilzing the patients in cases of drug addictions and anxiety disorders where the patient feels the need to be medicated despite not having the pathological need for it.

25

Yes, using brains power in healing is a part of medicine. For symptomatic relief or to feel better it is a good choice.

26

It acts on the psychology of a patient. I have come across many patients where they will come to the OPD telling they’re seriously ill having pain vertigo and what not as if they are going to die right there, then they will go on asking for a multivitamin saline, and within a few minutes they will tell you that they feel absolutely alright after taking it😂 so its all about the psychology, because our minds are shaped by the beliefs and attitudes we choose to cultivate.

27

Using placebos honestly can be helpful. This approach uses the body’s natural healing power while being open and respectful.

28

This shows us how impactful our thoughts are. Placebos can be given for temporary relief but if the patient has a major problem maybe a true treatment should be considered.

29

A placebo is a treatment with no active medical ingredient, such as a sugar pill or a saline injection. It’s used to study the psychological impact of a patient believing they are receiving treatment.
Despite being inactive, placebos can lead to real symptom relief, especially for conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, depression, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and insomnia.

30

Patient have a right to know what they’re taking -what if it masks a real health issue ?

31

Yes! As physios, we also treat patients through placebo and it works so effectively that patient get cured even…i am not sure about ethical..but our moto is to treat the patient and they should get rid of their pain so,yaa doctors and pharmacists should use it especially in cases where we know alot of medications is harmful like in mental illness sometimes .

32

Yes…

33

The ethics of prescribing placebos intentionally is a complex issue. Some says that it’s a valid part of medicine, using the brain’s power to heal.

  • Research suggests open-label placebos can still be effective, but transparency and patient consent are crucial.

Advantages:

  1. Utilizing the placebo effect can lead to real symptom relief.
  2. Open-label placebos can be prescribed with patient consent.

Disadvantages:

  1. Potential for mistrust if patients feel deceived.
  2. Ethical concerns about manipulating patients’ expectations.
34

When I was working in dispensing, I saw a prescription giving multivitamins and vitamin C tablets, and the patient was saying it’s arthritis medicine. He had so many issues. So, I connected with the doctor — he told me that the patient thinks he becomes fine when he takes the medicine prescribed by the doctor. So, I think sometimes we can consider it. By the way, it’s a case of a 62-year-old patient.

35

I have heard that Psychiatrist prescribes placebos which helps patients to avoid continuous use hard medications, just to satisfy them mentally. Also geriatric Care physicians prescribes multivitamins like medication to older age peoples.

36

Not intentionally but Yes it’s important sometimes, because there are some kind of people who believe that taking the injection or applying the saline can only recover them just it’s their mentality. Only those pills can recover them, they think like that.
So to treat them , sometimes placebo treatment is used.

37

Some believe placebos can ethically be used if there’s full transparency and patient consent.
Others argue it’s still deception unless the patient knows it’s a placebo.
But the mind-body connection is real and sometimes belief itself can be powerful medicine.

38

Yes , placebos can help if used honestly . They work by triggering the brain’s healing power , but it should be used ethically

39

yes, placebos are prescribed for certain medical conditions to know how actually our body responds and show placebo effect. A patient given a sugar pill but told it was a painkiller may actually experience less pain. In clinical trials, people in placebo groups frequently exhibit improvement even if they did not get the genuine treatment.

40

To reduce symptoms in patients through the placebo effect (psychological and neurobiological response).

To minimize unnecessary drug exposure when active treatment is not essential.