The study performed to assess the medicine use in the elderly and to provide basic data for the education of medication for the elderly. The sample consisted of 128 voluntary participants who have lived in three homes for the aged in Dong Rae, Pusan city. The result of study was follows: 1. Among the participants, 85.2% was taking at least one type of medicine. The medicines most frequently used were analgesics(36%), digestants(13%) and antihypertensives(13%). The medicines taken 'very frequently, almost everyday' were analgesics(80%) and digestants (69.2%). 2. Eighty eight percent of the participants used Western medicines. However, only 37.6% of the users knew the names of the medicine. As for the number of the kinds of the medicines taken, 47.6% took 2-5 kinds of medicines,' 28.4% took 5-10 kinds of medicines: 12.8% took over 10 kinds of medicines. 3. Those who took medicines by doctor's order were 74.3% and 19.3% purchased medicines at the pharmarcy store by themselves. About half of the elderly obtained the information of medicine from friends and neighbors. In making decisions for dosage and method of taking drugs, 78% followed explanation from doctors or pharmacists. 4. Those 12% of the elderly experienced adverse effects of such drugs as analgesics, antihypertensives, antidiabetic oral agents.