Many Physicians Are Prescribing Non-Inert 'Placebo' Treatments

About half of a small random sample of U.S. physicians prescribe placebo treatments, according to a BMJ study released online. Using a mailed survey, researchers assessed the attitudes toward placebo treatments among some 700 internists and rheumatologists. (A placebo treatment was defined as one "whose benefits ... derive from positive patient expectations.") Roughly half the sample reported using placebo treatments at least two or three times a month. The placebos prescribed most often were over-the-counter analgesics and vitamins (each about 40%); antibiotics and sedatives were each used about 15% of the time. Physician characteristics such as age, sex, or practice region did not influence the likelihood of placebo use. BMJ 2008;337:a1938