The question is whether the word "placebo effect" is a good way to think about the issue or whether it's more sensible about thinking about maximizing healing of sick people.
Speaking as someone who finds that placebos cure my headaches as well as painkillers do, I dispute that that is the question. When placebos work, they are a method of healing. Of course, you may not consider headaches to an illness, in which case I will not object, but will only point out that medicine does deal with headaches, so shifting that part of your caseload to a placebo dealer should help maximize your healing of sick people.
Very interesting decision from the one of the leading scientific publications to publish an article about Reiki therapy.
http://www.nature.com/news/consider-all-the-evidence-on-alternative-therapies-1.18547
[Edit: should be Nature publishes an article about alternative therapy]