Implementing Default 90-Day Statin Prescriptions Enhances Patient Benefits and Reduces Disparities

A recent study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania highlights the positive impact of changing default prescription lengths for statins from 30-day to 90-day supplies within electronic health records. This simple adjustment has led to a significant increase in longer prescriptions, with the percentage rising from approximately 71% in 2022 to over 91% in 2024 among participating physicians. By making the longer-duration option the default, healthcare providers helped patients manage their medication more conveniently, reducing the need for multiple pharmacy visits—on average, eight fewer trips annually per medication—and decreasing the likelihood of missed refills.

This strategy, rooted in behavioral science principles known as nudging, has the potential to save lives by ensuring better medication adherence, which is critical for managing chronic conditions like hyperlipidemia and preventing heart attacks and strokes. The approach also demonstrated an important benefit in promoting health equity. Initially, racial and socioeconomic disparities existed, with minority groups and lower-income patients less likely to receive 90-day statin prescriptions. However, the default change effectively closed these gaps, with over 90% of all demographic groups receiving longer prescriptions by the end of the study.

Overall, the findings underscore that small, policy-driven modifications in prescription practices can lead to meaningful health outcomes, such as improved adherence, reduced healthcare costs, and greater health equity. This intervention exemplifies how leveraging behavioral insights in healthcare settings can drive systemic improvements without additional resource expenditure.

For more details, see the study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, with the full research available through the DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.0185.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-default-day-statin-prescriptions-pharmacy.html