Fake Drugs for Kids

For most kids, chicken soup, ginger ale and a mother’s love can cure even the toughest sickness. But for some children with hypochondria, home remedies might not be enough. Rather than administering mild forms of medicine to alleviate a child’s concerns, parents now have the option of giving their kids a placebo called Obecalp.

Jennifer Buettner founded Efficacy Brands in hopes that a placebo could help parents do something for children with fake sickness concerns or minor ills. The actual pills, marketed under the name “Obecalp” (“placebo” backwards), are cherry-flavored and designed to look like normal medicine. Because the product contains no actual drugs, it will be sold as a dietary supplement.

According to the New York Times, experts question the use of placebo pills on children. The effects of placebos are unpredictable, and doctors are concerned that giving out pills for minor remedies could mean that some children would grow up thinking the only way to get better is by taking a pill.

(Photo by Shaine Mata)