When the active treatment in a medication is indeed beneficial to the patient, the added placebo effect is seen as a bonus to further alleviate symptoms. On the other hand, when a medication depends on the placebo effect as the main mode of relief, many ethical issues arise in terms of patient consent and knowledge. A further issue with the placebo phenomenon is its counterpart, the nocebo effect. This effect can increase negative implications on patient’s symptoms and can even create symptoms that might not have been present. Patients, having been informed of the possibility of certain side effects, even if they may be rare in occurrence, can cause the nocebo effect. Determining when and what information doctors should disclose to patients is a major ethical
When the active treatment in a medication is indeed beneficial to the patient, the added placebo effect is seen as a bonus to further alleviate symptoms. On the other hand, when a medication depends on the placebo effect as the main mode of relief, many ethical issues arise in terms of patient consent and knowledge. A further issue with the placebo phenomenon is its counterpart, the nocebo effect. This effect can increase negative implications on patient’s symptoms and can even create symptoms that might not have been present. Patients, having been informed of the possibility of certain side effects, even if they may be rare in occurrence, can cause the nocebo effect. Determining when and what information doctors should disclose to patients is a major ethical