*MEDICATION*: Lipid-lowering medications

[a-d-brown]

User requirements

This codelist aims to identify the prescribing of lipid-lowering medications.

Coding system

dm+d

Existing relevant codelists

https://www.opencodelists.org/codelist/openprescribing/all-statins/542a136e/#full-list

https://www.opencodelists.org/codelist/openprescribing/other-lipid-modifying-drugs/19f2ed22/#full-list

These codelists are useful for reference, but likely cannot be reused here since they:

• Have not been updated since 2021.
• Do not include PCSK9 inhibitors.
• Do include some medications which may more commonly be used indications unrelated to lipid-lowering.

Search terms / synonyms / search strategy

All drugs under BNF paragraph Lipid-regulating drugs 0212000 were considered for inclusion in the codelist.

Inclusion criteria for codes

Codes which refer to a product which contains a lipid-lowering ingredient, and where:

• the product is expected to be prescribed for a lipid-lowering indication in >90% of cases.

Exclusion criteria for codes

Codes which refer to a product which does not contain a lipid-lowering ingredient, or where:

• the product is expected to be prescribed for a lipid-lowering indication in <90% of cases.

Borderline cases

Bile acid sequestrants. In modern usage, it is expected that these drugs much more commonly prescribed for indications linked with bile acid malabsorption / biliary cirrhosis, than management of dyslipidemia. On this basis I have not included them in this codelist.

Final codelist

https://www.opencodelists.org/codelist/opensafely/lipid-lowering-medications-dmd/6d296dac/

[a-d-brown]

Draft BNF codelist for review: https://www.opencodelists.org/codelist/opensafely/lipid-lowering-medications/1a79ef62/

Will be automatically converted to dm+d after checking.

[carolineacuda]

I agree that the codelist is an accurate reflection of lipid lowering medications as defined in the inclusion criteria.