I personally feel as though placebos are necessary for studies and clinical trials. When doing statistical analysis, you’ll have a controlled-group that’ll receive the drug or device in question for actual treatment and perhaps another group that’ll receive a type of “sugar pill” or something else that won’t treat the illness or condition, but the patient or subject is led to believe that it will do something. This may come off immediately as unethical; however, since these trials are conducted on humans, part of the informed consent form a subject is supposed to sign should clearly outline that they’ll receive a placebo. Placebos have their appropriate times to be used while other times it should not be used at all. Placebos are only appropriate when the placebo itself won’t negatively affect the patient and if it is scientifically necessary. Placebos, when used, should be used to prove the effectiveness of the trial with high placebo effect rates or in absence of an effective therapy or treatment.