Evaluation of Medication Compliance for Secondary Prevention of Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract

To prevent recurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), national practice guidelines recommend use of five-drug combination therapy. Our study assessed the proportion of patients discharged on all five medications following ACS and determined reasons for nonadherence. A retrospective, single-center chart review was conducted at a tertiary academic medical center. Patients 18 years and older who were admitted to the cardiac care unit with a diagnosis of ACS between January 2013 and January 2015 were included. Overall, 200 patients were screened and 155 were included in the study. Half of the patients received all guideline-recommended classes of pharmacological agents at discharge. The other half–78 patients–did not receive the five-drug combination, of whom 48 (62%) had reasons documented for nonadherence. Our study's findings suggest that rates of adherence need to improve given the clear benefits of these medications.