Influence exerted on drug prescribing by patients' attitudes and expectations and by doctors' perception of such expectations: a cohort and nested case-control study.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: Although demand for medication is regarded as one of the most important factors in pharmaceutical expenditure, little is known about patients' influence on drug prescribing. This study assesses the influence exerted on drug prescribing by patients' attitudes and expectations, and by doctors' perception of such expectations.

Method: We conducted a population-based cohort study covering 937 subjects attending a health centre in the northwest of Spain.