EDUCATION AND COMPETENCE Knowledge about medications and products to prevent and treat pressure ulcers: a cross-sectional survey of nurses and physicians in a Primary Health Care setting Angel Romero-Collado, Erica Homs-Romero and Edurne Zabaleta-del-Olmo Aims and objectives. To report on a study of what primary care nurses and physicians know about medications and health- care products to prevent and treat pressure ulcers. Background. The prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers has generally become the responsibility of the nursing staff; this has resulted in studies of nurses’ knowledge of this task, although few studies include physicians in their analysis. Design. Cross-sectional survey conducted in North Girona (Province) Primary Care Services from February to April 2010. Methods. The study questionnaire had three sections: sociodemographic data, questions about division of responsibility for the care of patients with pressure ulcers or at risk of developing them, and 36 statements based on the recommendations in clinical practice guidelines provided by well-recognised national and international institutions. Results. Eighty-one nurses (64Á8%) and 46 physicians (36Á8%) responded to this study. Nurses had greater responsibility for the care of pressure ulcers, made greater use of medical prescriptions to obtain supplies if not available in the primary care centre, were more familiar with the site’s clinical practice guidelines on the topic and showed better adherence to their rec- ommendations. Nurses also had better knowledge than the participating physicians of the use of medications and healthcare products to heal or to prevent pressure ulcers. Conclusions. Nurses had sufficient knowledge and more appropriate skills than the participating physicians for the prescrip- tion of medications and healthcare products for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. Relevance to clinical practice. The data demonstrated that nurses have sufficient knowledge and skill to provide wound care and could safely write these prescriptions, although Spanish law permitting nurse prescription is not fully implemented. Key words: attitudes, health knowledge, nurses, physicians, practice, prescriptions, pressure ulcer, primary health care, Spain Accepted for publication: 6 November 2012 Background ‘Nurse Matilda has been charged with professional miscon- duct for prescribing a polyurethane foam dressing for a patient with a pressure ulcer’. This news item might scan- dalise more than one healthcare professional in Spain these days, but the fact is that until December 2009, it could have been published in any newspaper if Public Law (PL) 29/2006 of the Government of Spain (Gobierno de Espa~ na 2006), concerning guarantees and the reasonable use of medications and healthcare products, were being enforced. Fortunately, Spain followed the example of other countries, Authors: Angel Romero-Collado, MSc, RN, Professor of Nursing, Nursing Department, University of Girona, Girona; Erica Homs- Romero, RN, Primary Care Nurse, Roses Basic Healthcare Area (  Area B asica de Salut Roses), Catalan Health Institute (Institut Catal a de la Salut), Girona; Edurne Zabaleta-del-Olmo, MSc, RN, Researcher, University Institute for Primary Care Research, Jordi Gol (Institut Universitari d’Investigaci o en Atenci o Prim aria (IDIAP) Jordi Gol), Barcelona and Universitat Aut onoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain Correspondence: Angel Romero-Collado, Professor of Nursing, Nursing Department, University of Girona, C/ Emili Grahit, 77, 17071 Girona, Spain. Telephone: +34 972418 770. E-mail: angel.romero@udg.edu © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2562 Journal of Clinical Nursing, 22, 2562–2571, doi: 10.1111/jocn.12175