This paper describes patients' ideas about doctors' prescribing habits, their expectations for prescriptions and their self-reported behaviour in cashing prescriptions. It is based on semistructured interviews with 30 adult patients from two general practices. Views about doctors' prescribing habits ranged from those wanting more help with their symptoms saying that doctors underprescribe to those aware of doctors' pressure of work saying that they overprescribe. The desire for a prescription in a consultation can be related to the stage of the illness at which a patient consults; not all patients wanted a prescription or collected it if they received one. It is suggested that in appropriate cases, doctors could ask patients directly if they were expecting a prescription.