Cardiology Letters 2025, 34(3):171-174

Do patients receive the recommended pharmacotherapy after an acute myocardial infarction?

Lukáš Marcinov, Elena Teringová, René Molnár, Eva Gonçalvesová

Kardiologická klinika LFUK a NÚSCH, a. s, Bratislava, Slovenská republika

Aim: The one-year post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality rate in Slovakia ranges from 16% to 20%. This study aimed to evaluate prescription patterns and the use of pharmacotherapy during the first year following hospital discharge after AMI.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included 100 consecutive patients hospitalized for AMI. After excluding cases with incomplete electronic medication records, data from 81 patients were analyzed. We assessed prescriptions of guideline-recommended drug classes over a one-year period postdischarge, using data from hospital information systems and patients' electronic medication records.

Results: High prescription rates of recommended pharmacotherapy were observed. P2Y12 inhibitors had the highest prescription rate, with 79% of patients receiving them by the end of the first year. Statins were prescribed to 80.2% of patients. Furthermore, 95% of prescribed medication packages were dispensed at pharmacies. We also evaluated year-long treatment coverage based on the number of dispensed packages (prescription saturation). Continuous access-defined as no therapy interruption longer than 30 days-was achieved in 69.1% of patients for P2Y12 inhibitors and in 53.1% for statins.

Conclusion: Our findings show satisfactory prescription rates and high patient adherence in terms of collecting medications. However, the quantity of prescribed medication packages was often insufficient to ensure uninterrupted treatment throughout the year. This suggests possible irregular medication use or obstacles in obtaining continued prescriptions.

Keywords: acute coronary syndrome; secondary prevention; pharmacotherapy

Published: March 1, 2025  Show citation