Pharmacy Daily | AIHW cardiovascular drug error alert

A large proportion of Australians who suffer a heart attack do not receive the recommended medications when they leave hospital, according to a new report released this month by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The organisation has tracked patient pathways following coronary heart disease hospitalisations using data from the National Integrated Health Services Information Analysis Asset.

Of 67,800 people admitted to hospital with coronary heart disease (CHD) between 01 Jul 2016 and 30 Jun 2017, about half (35,200) had acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which includes heart attacks and unstable angina.

AIHW spokesperson, Mirium Lum On, noted that people who have been to hospital for ACS are at higher risk of having another cardiovascular event in the future.

"However there are steps that they can take to reduce this risk, including taking cardiovascular medicines," she said.

Australian clinical guidelines recommend that people who survive an ACS event are prescribed a multidrug regime that includes four medication classes - however only 61% of people with ACS had been dispensed three or more of the guideline-recommended preventive medicines within 40 days of leaving hospital, the data analysis found.

The inadequate medication was less common in women, as well as in people who underwent a bypass graft during their hospitalisation.

"Today's release provides a better understanding of some of the factors that affect medication use by people with CHD discharged from hospital," Lum On said.

"However further work is required to identify why some population subgroups were less likely to access preventive medications, or continue medications after hospital.

"The AIHW is working closely with our expert advisory group on further analysis examining the relationship between medication adherence and the risk of subsequent hospitalisations and death," she added.