Physicians Commonly Use Placebos to Placate Patients

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: January 03, 2008
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Key findings:

45% reported they had used a placebo in clinical practice.
Among those, the most common practice -- at 33% -- was prescribing antibiotics for viral or other nonbacterial diagnoses.
20% had prescribed vitamins, 7% subtherapeutic doses of medication, and 5% herbal supplements, while only 2% had actually given prepared placebo tablets and only 1% had prescribed sugar or artificial sweetener pills.
The most common reasons given were to calm the patient and as supplemental treatment, at 18% each.
95% of respondents believed that placebos can have therapeutic effects, although 21% said it was rare, 58% said it happened sometimes, and 16% thought it occurred often.
68% agreed and 27% strongly agreed that "the placebo effect is real."
40% said placebos could benefit patients physiologically for certain health problems.
12% said that placebo use in routine medical care should be categorically prohibited.