Table 2.
Univariate analysis of responses to medication risk questionnaire and other items (n = 645†)
| Yes | No | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | HospitalizedN (%) | Not hospitalizedN (%) | HospitalizedN (%) | Not hospitalizedN (%) |
| Do you currently take five or more different medicines?‡ | 156 (24.2)*** | 168 (26.0) | 63 (9.8) | 199 (30.9) |
| Do you currently take 12 or more tablets or capsules per day?‡ | 62 (9.6)*** | 56 (8.7) | 149 (23.1) | 300 (46.5) |
| Are you taking medicines for three or more medical problems?‡ | 163 (25.3)*** | 208 (32.2) | 57 (8.8) | 155 (24.0) |
| Does more than one doctor prescribe medicines for you on a regular basis?‡ | 103 (16.0)* | 134 (20.8) | 119 (18.4) | 235 (36.4) |
| Have your medicines or the instructions on how to take them been changed four times or more in the last 12 months?‡ | 39 (6.0)*** | 27 (4.2) | 179 (27.8) | 341 (52.9) |
| Is it difficult for you to take your medicines as prescribed?‡ | 15 (2.3) | 14 (2.2) | 216 (33.5) | 367 (56.9) |
| Do you take any of the following medicines: carbamazepine, lithium, phenytoin, warfarin, digoxin, phenobarbital, procainamide, theophylline?‡ | 58 (9.0)*** | 37 (5.7) | 170 (26.4) | 346 (53.6) |
| Do you collect your own medicines from the pharmacy?‡ | 113 (17.5) | 248 (38.4) | 115 (17.8)*** | 135 (20.9) |
| Are your prescriptions always dispensed at the same pharmacy?‡ | 192 (29.8) | 319 (49.5) | 38 (5.9) | 66 (10.2) |
| Do you know why you are taking all of your medicines?‡ | 213 (33.0) | 360 (55.8) | 15 (2.3) | 21 (3.3) |
| Do you take any of the following medicines: antihypertensives, digoxin, diuretics, hypnotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Parkinson's drugs, warfarin? | 180 (27.9) | 278 (43.1) | 48 (7.4) | 104 (16.1) |
| Does your pharmacist ever speak to you about your medicines? | 60 (9.3) | 91 (14.1) | 166 (25.7) | 288 (44.7) |
| Do you ever forget to take your medicine?§ | 38 (5.9) | 190 (29.5) | 57 (8.8) | 320 (49.6) |
| Are you always careful about taking your medicine?§ | 15 (2.3) | 213 (33.0) | 18 (2.8) | 358 (55.5) |
| When you feel better, do you sometimes stop taking your medicine?§ | 17 (2.6) | 210 (32.6) | 23 (3.6) | 352 (54.6) |
| Sometimes, if you feel worse when you take your medicine, do you stop taking it?§ | 29 (4.5) | 196 (30.4) | 47 (7.3) | 328 (50.9) |
| Do you use anything to help you remember to use or take your medicines? | 85 (13.2)*** | 93 (14.4) | 142 (22.0) | 287 (44.5) |
| Does any one help you to use or take your medicines correctly? | 51 (7.9)* | 56 (8.7) | 180 (27.9) | 322 (49.9) |
| Do you think you need any more help to use your medicines? | 5 (0.8) | 3 (0.5) | 222 (34.4) | 376 (58.3) |
†
Responses do not add up to 645 due to missing responses.
‡
Items from the medication risk questionnaire.
§
Items from the Morisky scale.
*
P < 0.05
***
P < 0.001.