One way of reducing the chances of a second stroke is through medication. For example, blood thinners (anticoagulants) and medication to lower cholesterol levels (statins). But about one out of three stroke survivors do not get these medications, with some population groups (i.e., elderly people, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds) being less likely to receive them. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that the inequality in prescription practices was exacerbated, increasing the health inequalities gap.
While it is widely acknowledged that prescription practices are influenced by the person’s characteristics (i.e., age, gender, and socioeconomic status), new research shows that the chances of not receiving medication are higher when those characteristics are combined. For example, a high-income 55-year-old White man might have a higher chance of receiving medication compared to a 75-year-old South Asian woman. This approach is called intersectionality, a critical theory that helps understand how the combination of a person’s identities overlaps to create unique experiences of privilege or discrimination.
This research will study the differences in the prescription of medications to prevent a second stroke before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding who is less likely to receive medication to prevent a second stroke is important to develop strategies to ensure everyone receives the care they need.
The findings will help to develop priority areas to enhance prescription practices in stroke secondary prevention and report the impact health emergencies like COVID-19 can have on prescription practices. The results of this work will have the greatest impact on stroke survivors who are not receiving medication to prevent a second stroke. In the long term, improving prescription practices will be felt by the NHS and carers by reducing recurrent strokes.