Beliefs about prescription medications among patients with diabetes: variation across racial groups and influences on cost-related medication underuse.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to understand differences across racial groups in diabetes patients' medication-related beliefs and adherence problems due to cost concerns.


METHODS
We surveyed 806 African American and White diabetes patients about their beliefs regarding medications, cost-related adherence problems, socioeconomic status and communication about treatments with their clinicians.


RESULTS
Many patients endorsed statements such as "Most prescription medications are addictive" (35%) and "Insurance plans push generics to save themselves money at the expense of my health" (65%). African Americans expressed more negative attitudes than White patients and were more likely than White patients to report cost-related medication underuse (19% versus 13%; p5.02). Medication-related attitudes did not explain the higher rates of cost-related medication underuse among Black patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Many diabetes patients have negative beliefs about their medications. Other unknown factors however, explain higher rates of cost-related adherence problems among African American compared with White patients.
Piette
John D
JD
Ann Arbor HSR&D Center of Excellence, P.O. Box 130170, Ann Arbor, MI 48113-0170, USA. jpiette@umich.edu
Heisler
Michele
M
Harand
Anita
A
Juip
Michelina
M
D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D016568:Drugs, Generic; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000208:ethnology*; D008824:Michigan; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016903:Drug Monitoring
D016568:Drugs, Generic