Medication Lists and Brown Bag Reviews: Potential Positive and Negative Impacts on Patients Beliefs about Their Medicine

INTRODUCTION: Medication lists and structured medication counselling (SMC) including "brown bag reviews" (BBR) are important instruments for medication safety. The aim of this study was to explore whether patients' use of a medication list is associated with their beliefs about their medicine and their memory of SMC.

METHODS: Baseline data of 344 patients enrolled into the "Polypharmacy in Multimorbid Patients study" were analysed. Linear regression models were calculated for the "specific necessity subscale" (SNS) and the "specific concerns subscale" (SCS) of the German "Beliefs About Medicine Questionnaire," including self-developed variables assessing patients' use of a medication list, their memory of SMC, and sociodemographic data.

RESULTS: 62.8% (n = 216) remembered an appointment for SMC and 32.0% (n = 110) BBR. The SNS correlated positively with regular receipt of a medication list (β = 0.286, p < 0.01) and negatively with memory of a BBR (β = -0.268; p < 0.01). The SCS correlated positively with memory of a BBR (β = 0.160, p = 0.02) and negatively with the comprehensiveness of the mediation list (β = -0.224; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive medication list may reduce patients' concerns and increase the perceived necessity of their medication. A potential negative impact of BBR on patients' beliefs about their medicine should be considered and quality standards for SMC developed.