OBJECTIVE： To provide reference for further promoting rational use of over-the-counter Chinese patent medicine cold medicine. METHODS： A total of 126 clinical medical students in grade four of Chengdu Medical College were randomly selected from Chengdu Medical College by using the method of cluster sampling. Their perception and use of over-the-counter Chinese patent medicine cold medicine were investigated by questionnaire survey （126 students） and interview method （20 of them）. The related data were counted and analyzed. RESULTS： A total of 126 questionnaires were issued and 126 valid ones were recovered with effective recovery rate of 100％. 20 interviewed students completed interview. Results of questionnaire survey showed that 88.1％ of the respondents had purchased and used over-the-counter Chinese patent medicine cold medicine； 78.6％ of them didn’t knew cold medicine with the name of “ganmao” “kanggan” “gan” was Chinese patent medicine； 71.4％ of them thought they could distinguish at least one type of cold； 87.8％ of them thought they could choose suitable over-the-counter Chinese patent medicine cold medicine by distinguish all or part of cold. Results of interview survey showed that the respondents couldn’t definitely describe the content of related cold types by using TCM theory and also couldn’t describe the complete， comprehensive and accurate symptoms of related cold types； the correct choice of suitable over-the-counter Chinese patent medicine cold medicine for wind cold， wind-heat type cold and common cold was not ideal. CONCLUSIONS： Medical students of the medical college don’t know enough about the generic name of over-the-counter Chinese patent medicine cold medicine and the theory of cold in traditional Chinese medicine. The students’ choice of over-the-counter Chinese patent medicine cold medicine is unsatisfactory.