RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Patient Beliefs Have a Greater Impact Than Barriers on Medication Adherence in a Community Health Center JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO J Am Board Fam Med FD American Board of Family Medicine SP 331 OP 336 DO 10.3122/jabfm.2017.03.160129 VO 30 IS 3 A1 Monica D. Gagnon A1 Eve Waltermaurer A1 Adam Martin A1 Colette Friedenson A1 Eric Gayle A1 Diane L. Hauser YR 2017 UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/30/3/331.abstract AB Purpose: Nonadherence to medicines contributes to poor health outcomes, especially for patients with complicated medicine regimens. We examined adherence among patients at a family health center and the impact that barriers to getting medicines and negative beliefs about medicines have on adherence.Methods: A survey was administered incorporating the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, questions from the Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire, and questions about patients' external barriers to getting medicines. Low adherence was examined by any external barrier and by higher negative beliefs, adjusting for patient characteristics.Results: The convenience sample of 343 participants is demographically representative of the larger population. Among these patients, 54% report low adherence, 51% have at least 1 barrier to adherence, and 52% report more negative than positive beliefs about medicines. When beliefs and barriers are examined together, patients with negative beliefs are 49% less likely to adhere than those with more positive beliefs, whereas barriers show no significant impact on adherence.Conclusions: Negative beliefs about medicines are as prevalent in this population as external barriers to accessing medicines, but negative beliefs were more significantly associated with adherence than external barriers. Physicians should identify and address patients' negative beliefs about medicines to improve adherence rates.