Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate any association between self-rated health (SRH) and general perception about medicines using the Beliefs About Medicine Questionnaire-General (BMQ-G) in Hong Kong hospital outpatients. Moreover, the study aims to demonstrate any association between social desirability bias or response (SDR) and BMQ-G, SRH reporting in this population. Methods Seven hundred and sixty-nine outpatients, who satisfied the selection criteria, were cordially invited to participate in this study by completing a combined questionnaire of demographic information, BMQ-G, SRH and SDR Set-5 in person, while waiting to collect their medications outside a Hong Kong hospital pharmacy. Results were analysed statistically. Key Findings The number of valid questionnaires returned for statistical analysis was 698. Logistic regressions indicated age groups, gender and SRH were significant predictors for BMQ-G reporting. Patients aged over 62, male or those with high SRH were less likely to present high BMQ-G scores, compared to patients aged under 45, female or those with low SRH, respectively (OR 0.43, 0.73 and 0.66, respectively, all CIs 95%). Logistic regressions also demonstrated overall BMQ-G, and SRH reporting was unlikely to be associated with SDR (all P > 0.05) although age was a significant predictor for SDR reporting (OR = 1.10; CI 95%). Conclusions This study illustrated age groups, gender and self-rated health significantly associated with general medicine beliefs reporting. The possible association between socially desirable bias and general medicine beliefs or self-rated health reporting was insignificant. attitudes or intentions towards adhering to their medical treatments. [3] Medicine beliefs could be broadly divided into general and specific. [3] General beliefs reflect patients' overall attitudes to medicines, which appear to be reasonably stable over time and independent of the changes in subjective health status. [4] Specific beliefs indicate patients' perceptions about their current medications. Interestingly, our recent study in a Hong Kong regional teaching hospital demonstrated middle-aged and older pharmacy