Nearly Half of Doctors Prescribe Placebos

Placebos, pill-like substances containing no medication, are often administered to control groups in experiments testing the efficacy of a drug. While pharmacologically inert, placebos may have a healing effect based solely on the power of suggestion and a patient's expectation to get well. The use of placebos is widely accepted in the experimental community and in the context of clinical drug trials, but a new study suggests that nearly 50 percent of US doctors prescribe placebos to their patients. This practice raises a number of ethical questions, including whether or not doctors have a responsibility to provide patients with complete information before they consent to treatment.