97% of U.K. doctors admit regularly doling out ‘useless drugs’ to induce placebo effect

In a survey of UK doctors, 97 per cent or 783 GPs admitted administering ‘impure’ placebos. These are unproven treatments including antibiotics for suspected viral infections, and non-essential physical examinations and blood tests.

12 per cent of those questioned had used ‘pure’ placebos - treatments with no active ingredients, including sugar pills of saline injections

The PLOS One study authors say this may not be a bad thing - doctors are doing it to help, not to deceive patients.

Independent.co.uk

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Wow, that is too high percentage. It is just wrong in my opinion. I hope my GP here hasn´t prescribed me any pills like that. I go to doctor rarely and at least so far everything has worked for me

I wonder what the % might be like in other countries.

If it worked, whats the problem.

Just because the Placebo effect relies on tricking the body into feeling better does not make it any less valid of a treatment.

The proof is in the pudding as it where.

When my dad was suffering due to strokes and other complications due to his illness it was noticed by the medical staff that he seemed to improve too fast when medicated but when we asked if there was a way of getting some of those pills in placebo format it was impossible as there was the risk we may not of given the correct medication when needed and it would of caused a possible risk as they would expect certain medication in the bloodstream which in certain problems would of caused more problems had he been taking placebo's and even using the placebo's to perhaps quicken someones demise

reply to post by Cabin


I guess nobody in UK can complain about side effects.

I would say that was outrageous except for the fact that the placebo effect actually works.

Originally posted by benrl
If it worked, whats the problem.

Just because the Placebo effect relies on tricking the body into feeling better does not make it any less valid of a treatment.

The proof is in the pudding as it where.

The probem is that you are paying for medicine, not for BS.
The problem is that the doctors are lying.
The problem is that a placebo can hide sympthoms only.

reply to post by Trueman


Yeah I'm kinda wondering how they get around the cost issue. Do they say it's a trial drug so it's chepaer or just charge the exorbitant prices of the real drugs?

In the Uk generally we pay a standard price for a prescription as probably would be seen as a co-pay across the pond so anything dispensed on the NHS will cost the patient the same price per item.......and if you aint careful you can be ripped off like it stupid especially paying 7 quid plus for a pack of paracetamol that cost pence in other ways

Originally posted by Trueman

Originally posted by benrl
If it worked, whats the problem.

Just because the Placebo effect relies on tricking the body into feeling better does not make it any less valid of a treatment.

The proof is in the pudding as it where.

The probem is that you are paying for medicine, not for BS.

Not here, it's all free at the point of delivery including prescriptions (Scotland not Tory run down England)]

The problem is that the doctors are lying.

If you need to lie in order for the patient to accept the medication which you know will cure them, then that says more about the idiotic patient than the doctor!

The problem is that a placebo can hide sympthoms only.

Wrong wrong wrong. Do you ever read the studies ? Time and again the placebo affect has shown to work.In fact even many active drugs don't cure you they merely relieve your symptoms whilst your body does the curing.

Here is the wacky thing. If you tell someone you are giving them a placebo for an illness it still works !!!!!!!

I think it's a great practice! People go to the doctor to illicit some sort of response, whether medicine can deal with it or not. People never, ever understand that antibiotics do nothing for viral infections, among other silly things. If the medical care is paid for, people think nothing of going into the doc for the slightest issue. It's half the reason the US medical system is such a debacle right now. Ever since they required hospital ERs to admit anybody that walked into the door, if somebody didn't have a paid medical plan, they just went to the ER. Most ERs would treat to some degree, though all they're required to do is triage and treat grave conditions. US medicine should take heed and do likewise where appropriate.

Originally posted by yorkshirelad

Originally posted by Trueman

Originally posted by benrl
If it worked, whats the problem.

Just because the Placebo effect relies on tricking the body into feeling better does not make it any less valid of a treatment.

The proof is in the pudding as it where.

The probem is that you are paying for medicine, not for BS.

Not here, it's all free at the point of delivery including prescriptions (Scotland not Tory run down England)]

The problem is that the doctors are lying.

If you need to lie in order for the patient to accept the medication which you know will cure them, then that says more about the idiotic patient than the doctor!

The problem is that a placebo can hide sympthoms only.

Wrong wrong wrong. Do you ever read the studies ? Time and again the placebo affect has shown to work.In fact even many active drugs don't cure you they merely relieve your symptoms whilst your body does the curing.

Here is the wacky thing. If you tell someone you are giving them a placebo for an illness it still works !!!!!!!

You are well trained to defend your masters or you are a UK doctor.

Originally posted by Helious
I would say that was outrageous except for the fact that the placebo effect actually works.

It is mind changing matter situation. A person who is depressed will decrease sense off touch, smell and taste. A person who is very happy will increase sense off touch, smell and taste. The body works better if the mind believe it works. Some people can live with pain in the body that they do not notice because they have turned of the pain and live without issues until they turn on their awareness again to the true state of the body and then the pain can be extreme.

I think the placebo effect is a part of a greater effect called synchronicity and by manipulating synchronicity you can probably create an even bigger Placebo effect.

reply to post by Trueman


It's highly unethical and I'm pretty sure illegal as it becomes an experiment and therefore needs your consent, and an internal review board (IRB) approval if messing with people in this way. Can't believe they admitted to it. Must not have same laws and ethics as the US. But probably happens here too - just would lose license since people would file lawsuits like crazy.

not all placebos are sugar pills

the most common placebo is the antidepressant Amitriptyline.

its given in doses of about 30 mg a day. just enough the affect the mind and make people pliable to believing they are taking something that might work.

Many doctors still give it as the drug for treating fibromyalgia then if the pain does not go down the tell the person the just have to keep taking it a little longer.
"independent' research studies done in the last few years have shown it works in only about 15% of the people with fibro. the same studies showed sugar pills were just as effective as Amitriptyline at about 15%

I would hazard a guess that the majority of these patients to whom the "placebos" are doled out to are serial gp surgery visitors e.g. the ones who will go to the surgery with any mild ailment and won't take no from the doctor when he tells them they don't need anything.

reply to post by Pardon?


What this guy said....

Also, bear in mind that only a few hundred GP's were surveyed and while 97% admitted to having doled out placebo's, it doesn't follow that either all GP's do it or that they do it all the time.

You may well find they only do this in 5% of cases where, like the fellow above said, the patient is one of the "regulars"..You know the type, old dears going down there because their hip hurts or it's cold (you're old, get used to it!)..

Having said that, I got given anti-depressants about 10 years ago for chest pain! The doc sent me for x-rays, blood tests etc and it all came back as clean, so puzzled he gave me happy pills and sent me on my way...

I later realised the pains were because of my posture (I work a lot on computers and then go home to my computer) and I only took one of those pills before binning the rest. Maybe he saw me as "one of those" who has nothing wrong but is coming back time and again...

reply to post by stumason


Chest pain can be a symptom of stress, so maybe when your scans came back clear, your gp assumed it may have been stress related and gave you anti depressants? When you realised your scans were clear, you probably became less stressed, so didn't really need any medications.

My stress levels subconsciously effect my symptoms, before I have scans. Before scans I feel like all my symptoms are returning. When I get the positive news of a good scan, the symptoms disappear instantly.

Some people can just feel better after going to see their gp and talk through their problems. There's lots of lonely people out there, who just need a sympathetic ear. If the patient walks away with some placebo pills, but feels all the better for seeing their doctor, then that's fine by me.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Good point and it further cements the thinking behind placebo's...

It may have been stress - I just had my first child and what have you.

reply to post by Helious


It is amazing , how the mind body relationship works. Just having the thought that something is working,effecting the bodies chemistry to behave as if it had indeed taken medication for its symptoms.

Research on the placebo effect has focused on the relationship of mind and body. One of the most common theories is that the placebo effect is due to a person's expectations. If a person expects a pill to do something, then it's possible that the body's own chemistry can cause effects similar to what a medication might have caused.

www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-the-placebo-effect