There is a well-known scene in the 1999 movie, “The Matrix,” in which the protagonist, Neo, is given a choice between a red pill and a blue pill. The red pill holds the promise of a higher revelation, in which he begins to see things as they truly are; whereas the blue pill keeps him in a state of stupor in which he continues to believe “whatever he wants to believe.” Spoiler alert: He chooses the red pill.
In this episode, … we look at the question of mystery and magic in drug treatment.
There are four important considerations that the scene depicted in the film, “The Matrix,” raises. They relate firstly, to the balance of power in drug therapy and the implications that follow from that. The second consideration is in relation to the amount and quality of information given to the “patient.” The third factor relates to the determination of dose. Finally, we consider the question of informed patient choice.
You can subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts or Spotify in order not to miss future episodes. Patreons get a full script of the podcast as well as links to any external resources referenced in the podcast.