The Australian Journal of General Practice has defended publishing a paper that concluded GPs are commonly prescribing placebos to their patients, saying the paper was subject to its “rigorous editorial processes”.

Conducted by researchers from UNSW Sydney and the University of Sydney, the study was an attempt to explore the beliefs of GPs about the efficacy as well as ethics of placebo prescribing.

But one GP academic said the findings were “extraordinary” and raised questions about whether the AJGP — the RACGP’s house academic journal — should have published it.

Based on a sample of 136 GPs who responded to an online survey, researchers found that 39% said they had used so-called “inert placebos” — placebos with no active ingredient, such as saline injections and sugar pills.