[Sca-cooks] Placebos.

[Randy Goldberg MD]

> Doesn't prescribing a placebo and telling the patient kinda cancel the
> point?
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Randy Goldberg MD <goldberg at bestweb.net>
> > Just for the record, the American Medical Association Code of Ethics
> states
> > that it is UNETHICAL for a physician to prescribe a placebo without
> > informing the patient. Placebo-controlled research studies MUST so
> > indicate in the informed consent document.

Of course it does. Nonetheless, it is unethical to give a patient a placebo
as directed therapy. It's another thing altogether to tell a patient "We're
enrolling you in a study, and you may get the drug or you may get a placebo.
No one knows. These are the risks and benefits if you get the drug, these
are the risks if you get the placebo (or if you don't go into the study).
These are the risks of the "standard of care" therapy, and its success rate.
Are you willing to roll the dice?"

Avraham