RESUMO
To measure general public knowledge, source of knowledge, preferred dosage forms, and beliefs toward medicines. A cross-sectional study design using convenience-sampling technique was used. A pre-validated questionnaire was designed and distributed to the general public through face-to-face interviews. All data were analyzed, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. The study took place in the Clinical Pharmacy Department, Taif University, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between August 2012 and February 2013. Nine hundred participants successfully responded to this study. Males represented two-thirds of the respondents [66.8%]. In addition, 52% of respondents were of high education level. Modern [74.2%] and alternative medicines [88.7%] were understood by most respondents. Tablets [69.6%] and capsules [37.6%] represented the highest preferred dosage forms. In addition, physicians [66.6%] and pharmacists [46.2%] were the main sources of information regarding medicines. In terms of beliefs, respondents showed wrong beliefs in many statements used in this study. There is a need to improve public knowledge and beliefs toward medicines as well as utilizing public preferred dosage forms. In addition, pharmacists should play a major role in these programs since they are experts on medicines and play a more active role in patient education and counseling