Pharmacological knowledge among general physicians

: We inquired to 200 physicians about the 50 pharmaceutical products most dispensed in Seville during 1989. The most significative results were: 68.5% of the inquired answered the questionnaire. 98.5% knew the product, but only 80.3% prescribed it. The principal sources of information to know the drug were books and scientific journals (67.3%), followed by detailers (62%). 86.1% knew the composition of the product, and 94.9% knew its indications. 71.5% described the side effects, 66.4% the contraindications, and 25.5% the interactions with other drugs. Only 56.9% mentioned a therapeutic alternative.