title: Does higher usage of low-cost statins correlate with a poorer achievement in cholesterol quality markers for secondary prevention?
abstract: There is pressure on primary care trusts, and therefore on GPs, to reach specific levels of use of low-cost statins as a proportion of total statin prescribing. This simple study looks at some markers of the quality of the results achieved. A correlation is found between a higher proportion of low-cost statin prescribing and lower achievement raising questions as to whether financial savings may be offset by poorer results.
authors.affiliation: North Curry Health Centre, Greenway, North Curry, Taunton, Somerset, UK. james.hickman@northcurryhc.nhs.uk
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hickman
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016527:Drug Costs; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D019821:Simvastatin; D017035:Pravastatin