PHAR 300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Belief
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Warts: historically treated with many things radish, marigold juice, and raw meat. Warts due to microbial cause, and the immune system will eventually get rid of them. 80% will disappear in less than 2 years. Person receiving the drug doesn"t know what they are getting. Receive either functional drug, or placebo/another drug. Person giving the drug doesn"t know which drug is being given either. People administering the drug may act differently towards the patient if they are aware of whether the patient is getting the active drug or not: randomization. The two groups should be randomly assigned in such a way that they are comparable. Drug can be measured against either a placebo or another drug that is on the market. Placebo therapy works in a very significant fraction of people. Generally, the effect of the placebo will wear off over time, or will be less than that of the active drug.