Key factors influencing the prescribing of statins: a qualitative study among physicians working in primary healthcare facilities in Indonesia

OBJECTIVES: To elicit key factors influencing physicians’ decision to prescribe statins. DESIGN: A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach within a pragmatism interpretive framework. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling was used to recruit physicians. Data were collected through face-to-face, semistructured interviews with physicians working in primary healthcare facilities in a capital of a province in Indonesia. We recorded and verbatim transcribed the interviews. Coding was done independently by two researchers and data were analysed using phenomenological data analyses. Key factors influencing physicians’ decision to prescribe statins were classified into factors at the microlevels, mesolevels and macrolevels according to the structural model by Scoggins et al. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Physicians working in primary healthcare facilities in a capital of a province in Indonesia. RESULTS: Ten physicians were included in the study. Key factors at the microlevel were that physicians knew guidelines in general, but there was uncertainty how to take into account the level of total cholesterol in combination with other cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension. At the macrolevel, the new National Health Insurance System (NHIS) that appeared to facilitate the prescription of statins though more clinical information should be integrated in the system’s platform to support appropriate prescribing. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate lack of awareness of specific details in current guideline recommendations. Appropriate prescribing of statins should be enhanced using the new NHIS.