OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the exposure of a patient to direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA), and the likelihood of clinician behavioral intentions to provide information and medications. METHODS: A randomized mail survey of Arizona primary care physicians (n=1080) and physician assistants (n=704) was conducted. Questionnaires were created with a hypothetical patient scenario varying according to the informational exposure of the patient (2 levels: DTCA or drug reference book). All other wording in the hypothetical scenarios was controlled. Clinicians were randomly assigned one form of the questionnaire. Each form solicited responses to questions related to the likelihood of respondent behavioral intentions (6-point scale, 6=very likely to 1=very unlikely) when faced with the hypothetical patient scenario. RESULTS: The response rate for useable questionnaires was 44% (40.5% physicians and 49.3% physician assistants). No overall statistically significant differences were found between the early responders and late responders. Also, no statistically significant differences were found between responders and non-responders based on the metropolitan designations of their practice settings. Relative to clinicians who received the "drug reference book" patient scenario, clinicians who received the DTCA patient scenario were: more likely to become annoyed with a patient for asking for more information about medications (p=0.003); less likely to answer the patient's questions (p=0.028) or provide additional written information (p=0.007); more likely to attempt to change the subject rather than discuss an advertised medication (p=0.017); more likely to become frustrated (p=0.003) and annoyed (p<0.001) with the patient for asking to try a medication; and less likely to provide samples (p=0.001) or a prescription (p<0.001) for a medication. CONCLUSION: Clinicians are amenable to patients asking for drug information and medications, but their level of receptiveness is associated with the source from which the patient's questions originate.