Doctor, nurse and patient knowledge of prescribed medication in primary care.

The prescribed medication of elderly patients receiving district nursing care was studied in an inner London group practice. Information on each patient's medication was obtained independently from the patient's doctor, her district nurse and from the patient herself and then compared. This paper focuses on the areas of agreement and disagreement between professionals and patients, and the doctor/nurse meeting as a method of resolving disagreements. The discussion highlights some of the problems of maintaining accurate records in primary care, and the implications for teamwork.