An AP news story discusses the use of placebos by doctors:
“LONDON (AP) – About half of American doctors in a new survey say they regularly give patients placebo treatments – usually drugs or vitamins that won’t really help their condition. And many of these doctors are not honest with their patients about what they are doing, the survey found.”
Completely apart from the flawed definition of ‘placebo’ for the purposes of the study, wouldn’t TELLING the patient that they were receiving a placebo ruin the point?