How Pharmacists Can Correct Statin Misconceptions at Pickup

In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Alexander Turchin, MD, MS, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at Mass General Brigham, discussed how pharmacists can help correct patient misconceptions about statin therapy and which communication strategies can build trust in lipid-lowering therapy, building on his presentation at the National Lipid Association (NLA) 2026 Fall Clinical Lipid Update.

Turchin said pharmacists have a unique role because they interact with patients as they pick up their medication, sometimes for the first time. At that moment, pharmacists can discuss possible adverse effects and teach patients how to distinguish symptoms that are more likely to be caused by statins from those that are less likely.

He explained that statin-related myalgias tend to follow certain patterns: they are typically bilateral and affect the proximal parts of the extremities. A patient who develops back pain or wrist pain after starting a statin is probably not experiencing an effect of the drug, whereas pain in both thighs may be more likely related to the statin.

To build trust, Turchin emphasized patient-centered decision-making that involves patients in treatment choices rather than dictating what needs to be done. For patients persuaded they can lower cholesterol through lifestyle changes, he meets them halfway by agreeing to a predefined trial period, such as 6 months, followed by a cholesterol check. If levels are not below a certain number, he revisits more effective options, such as pharmacological therapy including statins. The key, he said, is setting a limited time period so repeated 6-month extensions do not turn into many years.

Turchin also stressed persistence. If a patient declines therapy, he gently revisits the conversation at later visits and connects treatment to long-term life goals, such as dancing at a child's wedding or seeing grandchildren, because a longer, healthy life is what cholesterol lowering is for.