> Imagine getting a vial of homeopathic diluted water and a sugar pill when you complain about a cough.
This happens regularly in western europe, especially by pediatricians. The charitable interpretation is that the doctor knows the child will get better in a few days anyway, but has to give _something_ to soothe the parents. Giving the substance-free stuff is better than unnecessarily medicating the child, and placebo-effect can also play a positive role.
In your subsequent comment you add the important point - this is Germany. Having lived both in Germany and (now) in China, i can confirm that both of these countries have a problem with quack medicine. I've never been anywhere else in the world where you need to argue with pharmacists to persuade them to sell you evidence-based medicine.
In China there is some historical reason for it - Mao needed something to placate the peasants while trying to figure out how to provide healthcare to rural areas[0]. Unfortunately the government is still trying to figure that out.
I don't know what the history is in Germany that caused it to be the way it is.
Note that homeopathy was invented by a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann. It grew big at the turn of last century, with hundreds of homeopathic societies with their own apothecaries.
Today, lobbying powers of a profitable industry also play into it.
The parents that know they're gonna get a placebo because the kid will get better regardless probably aren't bringing their kids to the doctor for the kinds of ailments that result in a placebo.
Anecdotally, 90% of the times I've taken my toddlers to the doctor I've gone home with advice to take paracetamol and wait it out.
Kids can get high fevers really fast and you just want to make sure their lungs & heart are ok, they don't have a throat / ear infection etc. A doc can verify that for you in 5 min so I rather be safe than sorry, an "OK" is all I need.
This happens regularly in western europe, especially by pediatricians. The charitable interpretation is that the doctor knows the child will get better in a few days anyway, but has to give _something_ to soothe the parents. Giving the substance-free stuff is better than unnecessarily medicating the child, and placebo-effect can also play a positive role.