Background and objectives: International surveys indicate that placebo use by general practitioners (GPs) is remarkably high, but usage in Australia is currently unknown. To address this, the aim of this study was to examine rates of use and beliefs about placebos in Australian general practice.
Method: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional internet-based survey of a random sample of Australian GPs from a national database between February and April 2018. In total, 641 GPs opened the email invitation and 136 (18%) took part.
Results: Thirty-nine percent of GPs had used an inert placebo, and 77% had used an active placebo. GPs primarily used placebos because they believed placebos could provide genuine benefit and viewed themselves as having a strong role in shaping patients' expectations. Of concern, antibiotics were the most common type of active placebo prescribed.
Discussion: Placebo use by Australian GPs is fairly common, particularly the use of active placebos. Ethical issues surrounding the prescription of placebos in general practice are discussed.