A U.S. nationwide service, conducted on a representative lot of doctors , specifically 679 internists and rheumatologists, asked doctors what type of medicine do they usually subscribe.

The results were surprising, to say the least – apparently over half of the questioned doctors are in the habit of regularly prescribing placebo substances to their patients instead of regular drugs.

The practice has raised ethical dilemmas, such as how much should a doctor lie to a patient in order for the placebo substance to have the desired and expected effect.

The U.S. is not the only country with such results. Similar studies were also conducted in Denmark, Israel, Britain, Sweden and New Zealand. The results were not much different, as half of the interviewed doctors in these countries have also said that they don’t hold back from prescribing placebos to their patients.

The most substituted drugs are headache pills, vitamins, antibiotics and sedatives. However, the replacement placebos are not entirely devoid of healing substances, as placebos are usually known to be; these replacements are effective, but they target a patient’s psyche more than their bodies.

Of the questioned doctors, only 5% are entirely honest about the practice, telling their patients that what they’re about to take are in fact placebo substances. The majority describe the prescribed medicines as drugs that are not usually used for treating their condition, but which do have beneficial effects.

Some doctors doubt the accuracy of the survey’s results, as they do not know any doctors who prescribe placebos on a frequent basis. The American Medical Association strongly discourages the administration of placebos with shallow or even void informing of the patient.