Patients balance reasons for and against medicines
When reviewing antihypertensive treatment, patients’ views should
be taken into account in order to reach concordant decisions, researchers
say. They found that patients balance their reservations about medicines
with reasons for taking them, but that different patients may balance
similar perceptions differently.
Dr John Benson, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge, and Dr Nicky Britten,
at the time at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London,
interviewed 38 patients, from two general practices in the United Kingdom,
receiving repeat prescriptions for antihypertensives. They say that 76
per cent of the patients expressed reservations. A total of 28 patients
had reservations about drugs in general and 17 had reservations about
antihypertensives specifically. Of those who had reservations about drugs
generally, 18 expressed concerns about medicines being unnatural or unsafe.
However, all patients who expressed reservations about drugs also held
perceptions in favour of taking antihypertensives. Reasons for taking
antihypertensives include positive experiences with doctors, perceived
benefits of treatment and consideration of pragmatic issues.
The researchers conclude: “Patients’ ideas may derive from
considerations unrelated to the drugs’ pharmacology.” For patients
to make well informed choices about antihypertensives and to reach concordant
decisions, the way individuals strike a balance between their reservations
and reasons for taking medicines should be explored (BMJ 2002;325:873).
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