A random sample of 46 general practitioners of the Unità Sanitaria Locale in Torino recruited 802 elderly outpatients and collected information about complaints and current drug treatment. Within a week each patient received a home interview and details were collected on drug compliance and use of drugs other than those reported by the GP. On average, each patient was taking 3.6 drugs of which 2.9 were correctly reported by the GP and 0.7 were un reported. Among the most prescribed therapeutic groups there were drugs with a narrow therapeutic index (cardiovascular drugs, diuretics, psychotropic agents) and substances whose efficacy has never been fully documented ("cerebroactive/vasoactive"). Age and number of compliants were positively and significantly correlated with number of prescribed drugs. The most common reason for non-compliance was fear of side-effects.