One Snarky Chica with Issues

There is an article up on ABC News on how Doctors Are Regularly Prescribing Placebos to patients. In the past, I have not had much of an opinion on this one way or the other. That is of course until I discovered that I had been hoodwinked by a doctor. And then I realized just how irresponsible it is for doctor’s to prescribe placebos.

This was over a year ago. I had gone into a walk-in clinic to get a strep test as my co-workers were plagued with it. I had a slight sore throat and am always highly susceptible to strep. In the past I have had just a mild sore throat twice that I did not realize was strep throat and it actually turned into scarlet fever both times. Yes, an illness that you likely thought died with the prairie days. So, whenever I know someone near me has strep and I get any sign at all of a sore throat then I go to the doctor just to be safe. So, anyways, I go to this clinic, I explain my story as I just did, they do the little test and tell me that I have strep and give me a prescription and tell me that I can’t go back to work for 24 hours. I did not have insurance at the time. And I was living paycheck to paycheck with credit cards filling in the gaps. Oh, and I was working through a staffing agency with no sick time.

So, I missed a day of work with no pay and I had to pay full price for a prescription. Definitely a financial hardship here. Fast forward a few months later. I randomly get a sore throat that just won’t quit and I have a fever. I trek back to the same clinic for a strep test to be safe. Remember – no scarlet fever! They pull me up in the system and go “oh, I see you were here a few months ago for a strep test that was negative…” Yes, negative. As in, no need to have missed work for a day and no need to have paid for prescription meds.

With that in mind, this particular part of the article had me seething:

“…more patients reported feeling less pain after taking an expensive placebo (which they were told was a painkiller) compared to those patients taking an inexpensive placebo.”

So, not only are they making people pay for nothing, but they are putting a premium price on it too?!?

I’m sorry but it just makes me angry. I find it irresponsible on the doctor’s part. It’s like someone giving you a cheap skillet steak and charging you filet mignon prices and telling you that it is indeed filet mignon. Then I think about seniors or other people that are on some sort of disability or fixed incomes – wonder how many unnecessary placebos they pay for? Seems like this is just a great way for someone to get real rich real quick. And who makes that money? Is there a pseudo drug company out there that specializes in placebos?