Abstract
Objectives: To establish whether patients who are taking lipid-lowering medications receive information on lifestyle modifications from health care providers when originally prescribed and whether they continue to receive follow-up information on lifestyle modifications, and to establish where patients with dyslipidemias are receiving information about lowering their serum cholesterol levels through lifestyle modifications. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Two community pharmacies and two hospitals in two medium-sized cities in the midwestern area of the United States. Participants: 234 patients taking medication to lower serum lipids. Intervention: Paper-based survey. Main Outcome Measure: Responses to survey items. Results: Nearly three quarters (73.9%) of participants received information about lowering their serum lipids through lifestyle modifications when they were first diagnosed with elevated serum cholesterol concentrations. Of these, most (83.8%) said that the information came from their physician. Fewer than one half (48.3%) of all participants said that they continued to receive this type of information. Those who received lifestyle modification information at their original diagnosis and who continued to receive this type of information were more likely to be actively trying to lower their serum lipid levels through diet (93.1%) and exercise (71.6%). Participants visited their pharmacy more often than their physician's office each year, yet they recalled pharmacists offering less patient counseling on lifestyle modifications than did physicians and nurses. Conclusion: Despite being well positioned to assist patients with elevated serum cholesterol concentrations, pharmacists offer less patient counseling about therapeutic lifestyle modifications compared with physicians and nurses.