Doctors' knowledge of the cost of common medications.

Fifty doctors completed a questionnaire which assessed their knowledge of the basic National Health Service cost of 15 commonly prescribed medications. Nearly half the estimates exceeded twice the actual cost of the drug. As well as ignorance of absolute prices, the study demonstrated imperfect knowledge of the relative prices of drugs of the same type. Estimates of the costs of commonly prescribed medications were no more accurate than those for rarely prescribed drugs. Self perception of cost consciousness was not related to the accuracy of the responses.