Table 3.

Responses to individual items on the Safe Medication Assessment tool (n = 45)

Items	Baseline [n (%)]
The patient uses five or more drugs, including drugs to be taken as needed.	42 (93.3)
The patient has symptoms that could possibly be an adverse drug effect/adverse drug effects	38 (84.4)
The patient has prescribers from more than two medical units	27 (60.0)
The district nurse suspects that there is a risk for interactions between the patient’s drugs, including drugs to be taken as needed	18 (40.0)
The patient thinks he or she has too many drugs	11 (24.4)
Without consulting with the prescriber, the patient has consciously chosen not to take his or her drug or drugs as prescribed (e.g., sometimes takes a dose other than the one prescribed or no dose at all)	11 (24.4)
The patient has difficulty explaining which disease each of his or her drugs is used for	7 (15.6)
The patient has difficulty reporting or showing all the drugs he or she has been prescribed, including drugs to be taken as needed	6 (13.3)
The patient has a complex regimen (e.g., takes drugs more than 3 times a day, takes more than 12 doses a day, is on a tapering or cyclical schedule)	6 (13.3)
The patient has difficulty swallowing his or her drugs	6 (13.3)
The patient has difficulty reporting or showing the dosage form and dosage of each drug	4 (8.9)
In the opinion of the district nurse, the patient has reduced cognitive ability/memory problems	4 (8.9)
The patient has no method or routine for remembering to take his or her drugs	2 (4.4)
The patient does not store his or her drugs adequately	2 (4.4)
The patient has difficulty understanding Swedish	1 (2.2)
In the opinion of the district nurse, the patient has alcohol-related problems	0