We recently conducted a cross-sectional survey of the prescribing practices of rheumatologists and a random sample of family physicians. While in general there was agreement as to the preferred management of gout, family physicians were (a) more likely to use phenylbutazone, (b) more liberal in their use of allopurinol, (c) less likely to cover the introduction of allopurinol with antiinflammatory agents or to titrate the dose against the serum uric acid, or to adjust the dose according to the serum creatinine. A small number of physicians continued to routinely use urate lowering drugs in the treatment of entirely asymptomatic hyperuricemia.