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Objective: To determine the quantity and quality of drug information that patients receive in hospital., Method: Cross-sectional study conducted in February 2011, by designing and conducting a structured questionnaire on 60 patients: 30 inpatients and 30 outpatients. Descriptive analysis of the results was performed including, number and level of knowledge of medication treatment versus the "real" one, globally analysed by age and route of administration., Results: A total of 234 drugs were analysed in the inpatient group. It was considered that 45/234 (19.2%;95% CI: 14-25) were known properly by patients. In outpatients, this rises to 29/42 (69.0%;95% CI: 53-82). One third (33.3%) of patients check the medication before it is administered or provided. Inpatients are more aware of orally administered drugs, they knew 28.6% vs 5.1% of parenteral treatments. Just under half (45.3%) of inpatients and 2.4% of outpatients completely unknown the medication. The average age of patients with no knowledge of their medication was 68.5 years (SD=10.1) and had 8.7 drugs prescribed (SD=3.0). A total of 53.3% of inpatients and 93.3% of outpatients, considered to have been properly informed. Most of patients (96.7%) were satisfied with the information received., Conclusions: The results show an opportunity for improvement in the information given to patients, particularly to inpatients. To inform them, would enable them to act as a filter to potential medication errors, and as a necessary part to improve the safety of care., (Copyright © 2011 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)