Questionnaires were given to 139 appointment attenders and 141 open access attenders prior to consultations at one general practice. These enquired about patients' attitudes toward common illness and its treatment. Data on prescribing were obtained from the general practitioners after the consultation. The results suggested that two sets of attitudes were present in the sample: a preference for self care and a preference for drug treatment. They did not suggest that open access attenders were more in favour of drug treatment than appointment attenders. Although the issuing of prescriptions was broadly in line with patients' attitudes, the only attitudinal statement significantly associated with doctors' prescribing behaviour was one reflecting a preference for drug treatment. A logit analysis showed that the effect of patients' attitudes was apparent for open access attenders but not appointment attenders. The data lend support to the hypothesis that doctors are more aware of the pressure to prescribe than of the preference for self care.
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