Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ)
Also known as: BMQ
The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) is an 18-item self-report measure developed by Horne, Weinman, and Hankins in 1999 to assess patients' cognitive beliefs about necessity of medications and concerns about potential adverse effects. It is widely used in clinical research to predict medication adherence, particularly in chronic disease management, and has demonstrated strong predictive validity across diverse populations and disease contexts.
Read the full method
Sign in with a free account to read this section.
Method map
The neighbourhood of related methods — select a node to explore.
When to use it
The BMQ is appropriate for any adult patient on chronic medication (hypertension, asthma, diabetes, psychiatric medications, HIV, etc.). It is particularly valuable in initial consultations to identify belief-based adherence barriers before they manifest as clinical non-adherence. Clinicians use it to stratify risk (e.g., high-concern patients benefit from targeted education), researchers use it to predict adherence in trials, and health psychologists use it to tailor behavioral interventions. It is suitable for both clinical care and research settings.
Strengths & limitations
- Strong predictive validity: Necessity-Concerns Differential reliably predicts actual medication adherence across diverse chronic conditions.
- Theoretically grounded: Based on established self-regulation model, capturing clinically relevant belief dimensions.
- Brief and practical: 18 items completed in 5–10 minutes; suitable for busy clinical settings.
- Identifies modifiable barriers: Specific-Concerns subscale pinpoints educational or psychological targets for intervention.
- Cross-cultural validity: Validated in multiple languages and populations worldwide.
- Self-report bias: Patients may respond according to perceived social desirability rather than true beliefs.
- Disease-specific variation: Beliefs about necessity are condition-dependent; a patient may have high necessity beliefs for insulin but low necessity beliefs for statins.
- Temporal instability: Beliefs can shift with clinical events or new information; single assessment may not capture longitudinal adherence.
- Limited causal inference: Measures beliefs but does not determine whether low adherence is due to belief barriers versus practical barriers (e.g., cost, access).
- Ceiling effects in some populations: Patients with acute life-threatening conditions may report uniformly high necessity scores, reducing discriminative power.
Frequently asked
If a patient scores high on both Necessity and Concerns, what does this mean?
This represents ambivalent or conflicted beliefs. The patient recognizes medication as necessary but is equally worried about side effects. The Necessity-Concerns Differential will be near zero. Such patients often vacillate in adherence; they benefit from detailed discussion of side effect profiles, risk–benefit analysis, and reassurance strategies.
Should I use the General subscales (Overuse, Harm) in clinical decision-making?
The Specific subscales (Necessity and Concerns) are the primary predictors of adherence to a particular medication. General subscales reflect broader medication skepticism and may be useful for understanding worldview but are less predictive of behavior for a specific medication. Focus on the Necessity-Concerns Differential as the main clinical indicator.
How often should the BMQ be readministered?
There is no fixed recommendation. In clinical practice, reassess when circumstances change (e.g., after a clinical event, dose adjustment, or if adherence problems emerge). In research, longitudinal studies typically administer at baseline, then at 3, 6, or 12 months depending on study timeline. Beliefs can shift in response to therapy effectiveness or side effect experience.
Is the BMQ appropriate for patients on multiple medications?
The BMQ is typically disease-specific (e.g., beliefs about antihypertensive therapy). For patients on multiple medications, administer separate BMQ assessments for each condition or the primary therapeutic target. Some research has adapted it as a generic measure, but condition-specific administration is more clinically useful.
Sources
- Horne, R., Weinman, J., & Hankins, M. (1999). The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire: The development and evaluation of a new method for assessing the cognitive representation of medication. Psychology & Health, 14(1), 1-24. DOI: 10.1080/08870449908407311 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 3). Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/pharmacology/beliefs-medicines-questionnaire
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- Drug Attitude InventoryPharmacology↔ compare
- Medication Adherence Rating ScalePharmacology↔ compare
- Self-Efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use ScalePharmacology↔ compare
- Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for MedicationPharmacology↔ compare