Editorial
When should ACE inhibitors or warfarin be discontinued after myocardial infarction?
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
In
the current climate of cost containment, discontinuation of medications
shown to have efficacy has taken on an urgency that may not appear
appropriate to the individual clinician when applied to the individual
patient. However, it is often in the patient's best interest to
decrease the number of medications prescribed. Following a myocardial
infarction, patients are usually discharged on multiple medications
including 
adrenergic receptor blockers, angiotensin converting
enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, aspirin, and lipid lowering agents.
Polypharmacy is a national health issue that increases the risk of
medication errors in formulation or dosage by the prescriber, the
pharmacist or the patient, and increases the likelihood of drug
interaction. Polypharmacy also decreases patient compliance with the
medical regimen.1 2 Cost is a factor for many patients
and one that may be underappreciated by physicians. In addition, no
drug is without side effects. Discontinuation of a medication removes
the possibility of untoward side effects,
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