Prescriptions of Essentially Placebo Treatments Among General Practitioners in 21 Countries

How often do general practitioners (GPs) prescribe a treatment that is essentially a placebo?In this survey study with 952 participants across 21 countries, the median prescription rate for treatments that GPs do not expect to improve symptoms via physiological mechanisms was once per 2 weeks or in 0.7% of all consultations. Although few differences by GP characteristics were found, male GPs and those with more work experience were significantly more likely to prescribe these treatments.While the rate of prescribing essentially placebo treatments in this study was relatively low per GP, it did amount to a relevant number of prescriptions at a population level, raising concerns about GP-patient relationships and potential adverse effects.

Corresponding Author: Fabian Wolters, MSc, Unit Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden (f.wolters@fsw.leidenuniv.nl).

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