Temporal stability of beliefs about medicines: implications for optimising adherence.

OBJECTIVE To compare beliefs about medicines, as measured by the BMQ-General questionnaire, at two time points for the same respondents. METHODS Respondents completed the BMQ-General as part of two separate postal questionnaires, administered with an intervening period of almost 4 years. BMQ-General scores were compared for all respondents at the two time points (2002 and 2005). Scores were also compared for three mutually exclusive groups based on changes in self-reported health status (better, worse or no change) during the intervening period. RESULTS BMQ-General scores remained stable over time: no statistically significant differences were observed in individuals' scores after almost 4 years. This finding persisted amongst respondents who reported changes in health status during the intervening period. CONCLUSION General beliefs about medicines appear to remain stable over time, irrespective of changes in health status. Further research should be done to establish whether specific beliefs about medicines prescribed for individuals are similarly stable. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Adherence is known to be associated with beliefs about medicines. The observed stability in such beliefs could have implications for the design of interventions to improve adherence to prescribed medication regimes.