Utilisation of Prevention Medications and Health Outcomes in the Real-World Setting After Stroke

Medications are recommended after stroke to reduce the risk of vascular events. Prior to this thesis, there was limited evidence on the real-world uptake and effectiveness of medications after stroke. This thesis involved refining “big data” methods and generating real-world evidence on medication use, discontinuation, and adherence after stroke. Methodological studies were undertaken to validate pharmaceutical data and to develop a reporting tool for medication adherence. Increased medication adherence was shown to be associated with survival, decreased recurrent vascular events, and improved patient-reported outcomes. Urgent efforts are needed to optimise medication adherence after stroke to maximise health outcomes.