Key result
97% of primary care HCPs identify side effects as the leading barrier to LLT adherence.
Why the study?
Understanding and mitigating multifactorial barriers to lipid-lowering therapy adherence is crucial to maximizing the benefits of GDMT and potentially improving outcomes, prompting evaluation of primary care healthcare professionals' perceptions.
What are the perceived barriers to patient adherence to lipid-lowering therapy among primary care healthcare professionals?
Cross-Sectional (n=69)
What are the perceived barriers to patient adherence to lipid-lowering therapy among primary care healthcare professionals?
Primary care healthcare professionals perceive side effects, lack of patient awareness, and media misinformation as the primary barriers to patient adherence to lipid-lowering therapies.
Side effects dominate reported barriers to lipid-lowering therapy; extends guideline emphasis on education and alternative agents.
Background Lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is essential for preventing atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD). Barriers to medication adherence are multifactorial, influenced by socioeconomic status, health literacy, demographic characteristics, perceived or experienced adverse effects, regimen complexity, and levels of trust in healthcare professionals (HCPs).1 HCP understanding and mitigation (where possible) of barriers to medication adherence is crucial to maximising the benefits of guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMT), potentially improving outcomes. Purpose To evaluate primary care HCPs’ perceptions regarding barriers to patient adherence to GDMT for secondary prevention. Methods A cross-sectional lipid-based electronic survey was conducted between September and October 2025 on primary care HCPs from the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (UK) membership database. One key multi-response question asked was "What hinders patient compliance/adherence to taking lipid-lowering therapies?" Results A total of 69 HCPs responded to the questionnaire, comprising 28 general practitioners (GPs, including GP trainees and GPs with a special interest), 20 pharmacists, 16 nurses, and 5 other HCP types. The most frequently reported barriers included: 1) side effects or perceived side effects (97%) 2) lack of patient awareness regarding the benefits of lipid reduction (70%) 3) misinformation from media sources (62%) 4) medication fatigue (61%) 5) lack of HCP awareness of the benefits of lipid reduction (39%) 6) fear of injections (15%). Conclusions To improve adherence to GDMT, HCPs must be fully informed about the benefits of lipid-lowering, recognise their own biases in perceptions of patient adherence, and proactively identify and address patient-specific barriers to taking LLT. Recognising and addressing barriers to medication adherence may lead to more effective ASCVD risk reduction.
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Thakkar et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in ASCVD secondary prevention (n=69). Perceived barriers to lipid-lowering therapy adherence was evaluated on Perceived barriers to patient compliance/adherence to taking lipid-lowering therapies. Perceived barriers to lipid-lowering therapy adherence reported by 69 primary care HCPs most frequently included side effects (97%), lack of patient awareness (70%), and media misinformation (62%).
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