The use of placebos by physicians for therapeutic purposes is a common part of clinical medical practice. This Article examines the legal and ethical ramifications of placebo prescription. In particular, ethical concerns are related to substantive legal theories that may be advanced to attack or defend the practice of placebo therapy in particular cases. The author concludes that, under certain strictly denned circumstances, the use of placebos in patient care is ethically and legally justifiable. However, from any perspective, the rights and duties inherent in the physician-patient relationship must be respected by the physician when considering the clinical use of placebos.

中文翻译：

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安慰剂疗法和法律：谨慎开药

医生出于治疗目的使用安慰剂是临床医疗实践的常见部分。本文探讨了安慰剂处方的法律和伦理后果。特别是，伦理问题与实质性法律理论有关，这些理论可能会被用来攻击或捍卫特定情况下的安慰剂治疗实践。作者得出结论，在某些严格限定的情况下，在患者护理中使用安慰剂在伦理和法律上都是合理的。然而，从任何角度来看，在考虑临床使用安慰剂时，医生必须尊重医患关系中固有的权利和义务。