title: Beliefs about medicines among Norwegian outpatients with chronic cardiovascular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the beliefs of Norwegian outpatients about medicines, and to explore if some patient-specific factors and drug use are associated with the beliefs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients from an outpatient clinic for chronic cardiovascular diseases were referred by physicians to a pharmacist-led medication outpatient clinic. Here the patients were asked to complete the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  150 patients were included (mean age 70.0 years (range 31-91), 50 (33.3%) women), using a total of 1061 drugs. 91.2% strongly believed in the necessity of their medicines and 29.7% had strong concerns. Multivariate regression analyses showed that with an increasing number of drugs, the score for necessity was significantly increased (p<0.01). Women were significantly more concerned than men (p=0.03). The older the patient, the higher the score for general harm of medicines (p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the majority of the patients in this study believed in the necessity of their medication, one-third had strong concerns.
authors.affiliation: Diakonhjemmet Hospital Pharmacy , Oslo , Norway ; School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Kirsten K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Viktil
authors.affiliation: Diakonhjemmet Hospital Pharmacy , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frøyland
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management and Health Economics , Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rogvin
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management and Health Economics , Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway ; Department of Biostatistics , Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Tron Anders
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Moger
keywords: CLINICAL PHARMACY; INDIVIDUALISED MEDICATION SURVEILLANCE; MEDICAL EDUCATION & TRAINING; PHARMACOTHERAPY