We’ve mentioned elsewhere on this site that conventional doctors are quite aware that they’re often prescribing ‘placebos’ – that is, antibiotics for conditions which they know will not respond to antibiotics. Why? It seems, that’s what patients expect, and doctors, under the pressure of pushing as many through the doors per hour as they can, just don’t have the time to explain that medication is just not necessary for something like a viral infection. At least, we hope that this is the explanation. We’d hate to think that the medical professiona was at all involved in helping bolster drug sales …
Here’s an NPR news article about the over-prescription phenomenon. Problem is, the practice is not only unnecessary and expensive, it can be dangerous.