Placebo Effect and Ethical Aspect - Essay Example

It is necessary to use the power of the human mind to heal the body with the help of placebo because it is natural, safe, and does not cause adverse effects. Moreover, in clinical trials placebo often shows good results compared to the real drug even in cases of serious cancer. This proves that the human brain has the power of healing itself. There is evidence that the placebo effect works even when the patient was informed of the fact that he is taking a fake drug.

It is good when a specialist can prescribe a placebo to a person but it works only in cases when the illness is not serious and there are no risks to a patient. For instance, treating some chickenpox in children with the help of a placebo would be illogical. Moreover, a placebo can also be used in treating drug addiction and psychological disorders causing no harm to people. It will also help patients to believe in the capacities of their bodies.

The advertisement is one of the powerful methods of influencing auditory and persuading them to buy drugs. Pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars on advertisements trying to make someone buy the products they need. When people feel pain or get ill they do not think for a long time – all they want is to get rid of the problem that is why they take for granted the fact that every drug will work. Most drugs nevertheless are only effective in the alleviation of the symptoms not in treating the real cause of illness. That is why it is crucial for FDA to control what drugs are prescribed to patients and how they are advertised.

There are still ethical problems that arise in connection to placebo. For instance, even patients with serious diseases can take placebos during clinical research of new medicine while they are informed of that. They sign special consents that they agree to take a placebo and that their disease can progress.  It looks logical and normal, however, it leads to complications of the illness and death.  Moreover, not all the patients would agree and would believe in the placebo effect that is why prescribing a placebo is a very difficult ethical problem for a doctor and he/she must certainly combine it with general treatment and other drugs which are proven to be effective.