Adherence to Cardio-protective Medications Prescribed for Secondary Prevention after an Acute Coronary Syndrome Hospitalization Compared to Usual Care

Secondary prevention after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) hospitalization is critical to prevent additional morbidity and mortality. While poor adherence to prescribed cardio-protective medications is a known problem,1,2 it is unknown whether an ACS event might motivate patients to achieve better adherence. In a large integrated health care population, we examined initiation and adherence to newly prescribed cardio-protective medications among post-ACS event patients compared to patients who were prescribed these same medications in usual care.