Kaiser Permanente Study Finds Varied Reasons Why Patients Do Not Fill their Initial Statin Prescriptions

PASADENA, Calif., April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients who do not fill their first prescription for cholesterol-lowering statins give a wide range of reasons for not doing so, including perceived concerns about the medication, a fear of side-effects and a decision to try lifestyle modifications instead of prescription medication, according to a Kaiser Permanente Southern California study published in The American Journal of Managed Care.

The cross-sectional study provides new information about qualitative evidence on primary nonadherence: situations where patients do not pick up their initial prescription. Researchers randomly selected and interviewed nearly 100 Kaiser Permanente Southern California members ages 24 and older with a new but unfilled statin prescription. Based on responses gathered from a semi-structured telephone interview, researchers reported that 63 percent of respondents did not fill their initial statin prescription because they had general concerns about taking the medication; 63 percent said they wanted to try lifestyle modifications rather than take a medication; and 53 percent reported a fear of the medication's side-effects.

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Source: Wall Street Journal