Medicine consumers: what do they believe, what do they know?

Abstract

Pharmacological therapy is one of the most studied matters in public health and one of the most important issues in General Practice / Family Medicine. OTC medicines are a growing reality. Medicine safety as well as equity in the distribution of health care is still a matter of concern for our democratic societies. The more the user knows about medicines the better he will use them, resulting in economic and health gains. In the light of the above, it is important to study the knowledge of the public at large about medicines, in particular in the Primary Care setting, namely in Family Medicine, where such issues are of utmost importance.