Table 2.

Circumstances in which placebo was administered. Figures are number (percentage of those who reported use) of respondents^*

	Hospital based physicians	Nurses	Family physicians	Total
After “unjustified” demand for medication	8 (42)	8 (36)	7 (58)	23 (43)
To calm patient	4 (21)	9 (41)	7 (58)	20 (38)
As analgesic	4 (21)	11 (50)	5 (42)	20 (38)
As diagnostic tool	6 (32)	4 (18)	5 (42)	15 (28)
As adjunctive therapy	3 (16)	3 (14)	6 (50)	12 (23)
For non-specific complaints	0	2 (9)	7 (58)	9 (17)
To buy time before next regular dosage of medication	2 (11)	5 (23)	1 (8)	8 (15)
To get patient to stop complaining	1 (5)	2 (9)	3 (25)	6 (11)

^*53 respondents reported that they use placebo (19 hospital based physicians, 22 nurses, and 12 family physicians). Each respondent was permitted to cite more than one circumstance in which he or she used placebo.