Letters
Prescribing placebos
Illusion is disease mongering
BMJ 2008; 337 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.a2686 (Published 25 November 2008) Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2686
- Alain Braillon, hepatologist1,
- Aurore Bernardy-Prud’homme, resident doctor1
- 1University Hospitals, 80000 Amiens, France
- braillon.alain{at}chu-amiens.fr
Tilburt and colleagues show that most specialists are either practising magic or are insane—that is, prescribing a placebo and saying so.1 The placebo “effect” is well known: in the 18th century Benjamin Franklin and Antoine …
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