Placebo Pills to Be Marketed for Children

Parents may be asking about a placebo pill for children that was highlighted in yesterday's New York Times.

Because the cherry-flavored pills — to be sold by Efficacy Brands as Obecalp ("placebo" spelled backward) — do not contain actual medicine, they will not be regulated by the FDA. Doctors interviewed by the Times were skeptical of the pills' value, since the person dispensing the placebo will know it's not real medicine, and most placebos are given by someone who doesn't know whether the pill is real or not — the so-called double-blinded approach. Other physicians noted that it might not be wise to give children medicine, real or not, for all minor complaints.

The product is expected to reach store shelves on June 1 and will cost $5.95 for 50 tablets.