(eng): Convenient access to a large variety of OTC medicines presents patients with the opportunity for the self-treatment of many health problems. Yet this also brings on other health risks, especially to the elderly. A pointed lack of information about the safety of NSAIDs has been found among lay people, but no study in the Czech Republic so far has focused on the preferences of the residents' of retirement homes for particular NSAID pain relievers and these patients' level of knowledge regarding use and safety issues. We undertook a cross-sectional study in 9 retirement communities. A self-developed questionnaire was used to gather data on the preferences of seniors for particular NSAIDs and on their knowledge about ibuprofen. Two hundred elderly people participated in the research, 77% of the sample being female. The mean age was 83 +/- 7 years. Ibuprofen was the preferred NSAID analgesic among participants. 64% of respondents indicated that they suffered from pain nearly every day.