The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7334 p109
29 January 2005

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· Controlled drugs
· Diamorphine shortage (2)
· Medicines information
· Placebo effect
· The Society (16)
· Registration examination (2)
· Dispensing
· We've had enough of...

Letters to the Editor

Placebo effect

Benefits being missed

Mr M. Morris Levy, MRPharmS

With reference to Brian Furman’s letter (PJ, 1/8 January, p12), I think that the health and financial benefits of the placebo effect are being missed. There are many medical conditions where the placebo effect is high (eg, erectile dysfunction).

If a placebo is given for non life-threatening disorders, first, those patients who respond to it would gain by being drug-free for longer. The system would gain financially (placebo cost vs drug), and there would be an added bonus of no drug interactions or side effects, both of which could lead to further treatment.

There are some ethical and practical problems here, including having to charge the patient a high price for the placebo. (Patients sometimes perceive that cheap medicines do not work so well.) Also, with today’s freedom of information rules, it would be hard to hide from the patient what drug or placebo he or she is receiving.

We can work out how the placebo effect works later because it certainly will not harm patients (as long as their condition is properly monitored).

Morris Levy
Jerusalem, Israel

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