Knowledge of patients about oral single-component OTC preparations containing ibuprofen, bought for their own use,was evaluated in relation to the manner of the process of communication between the pharmacist (laboratory assistant) – patient during the supply at the pharmacy. The answers of respondents were processed separately for the group of those who bought the preparation for the first time and those who had already used it for self-medication. The knowledge of contraindications and undesirable effects (judged separately) was found to be higher than 50 % in both groups of respondents. Nevertheless, the patients who use the preparation repeatedly state simultaneous ignorance of undesirable effects and contraindications only in 32.2 %, in contrast to the new users (60.0 %). The patients who know neither contraindications nor undesirable effects of the preparation which they buy nevertheless think that they have enough information so that their self-medication can be safe (88.9 % of patients using the preparation repeatedly and 80.0 % of new users). Approximately a quarter of respondents in both groups under evaluation state that during the supply in the pharmacy they were not given any piece of information. Patients are passive when buying an OTC preparation and nearly 40 % of them do not use the opportunity to ask for pertinent information themselves. Nearly 85 % of respondents from both groups consider information gained from the pharmacy to be sufficient. When supplying an OTC preparation, in 45 % of cases pharmacists (laboratory assistants) do not inquire whether the patient have already used the preparation, or whether he or she knows anything about it. The standard of counselling on self-medication in the Czech Republic should thus become more effective.

        Key words: self-medication – OTC – ibuprofen – knowledge of patients – counselling