Should doctors be allowed to prescribe placebos?

Presenter: Laura Derksen
Date: 18/11/11

Placebos (sugar pills) have been shown to be effective in treating a range of diseases and symptoms, including pain, depression, anxiety, Parkinson's disease, gastric ulcers, and chronic fatigue syndrome. They seem to work not only by causing a patient to feel better psychologically but also by actually improving certain conditions. 

Given this strange effect, should doctors prescribe placebos, and under what circumstances? 

Should placebo treatments receive NHS funding?

What if the placebo in question is quite expensive?

What if the therapy is administered by someone who believes the treatment to be genuine? 

What if a more effective medicine exists but a patient continues to seek the placebo treatment?

Links:

wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo

Placebos can work even if a patient doesn't believe in them: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=placebo-effect-a-cure-in-the-mind

The NHS funds homeopathy: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jun/29/ban-homeopathy-from-nhs-doctors?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487