Many people face barriers to taking their medication regularly. It is estimated that between 30 and 50% of patients prescribed medication for long term conditions do not take them as prescribed. Barriers include practical difficulties (such as getting to the pharmacy or being unable to swallow medication) and/or perceptual barriers (such as lack of motivation or negative emotions). The result is poorer patient health, increased medication wastage, and investigations and prescribing that may otherwise have been avoided.

To provide the best support to help patients take their medication, their personal barrier(s) must firstly be identified. Research shows that identifying the underlying barriers is challenging for patients and practitioners.  The Identification of Medication Adherence Barriers Questionnaire (IMAB-Q) was developed and validated to support patients and practitioners to identify these barriers. The IMAB-Q was developed using the stages of literature search, mapping to a theoretical framework and focus groups with people prescribed medication.