Effect of written information on physicians' knowledge of drug prices

Fifty-four residents in internal medicine and primary care medicine were surveyed before and after receiving a prescription drugs price guide booklet to determine whether providing written price information to the residents would improve their knowledge of drug costs. Results indicated that the pricing information did not improve the residents' knowledge of drug costs. It was also found that neither the residents' concern with the importance of drug cost nor their personal assessment of their knowledge of drug cost influenced their incorporation of drug price information into their professional data base.