Underuse of beta-blockers by patients with COPD and co-morbid acute coronary syndrome: A nationwide follow-up study in New Zealand.

Use of beta-blockers following an ACS admission was much lower than expected based on the findings of general audits of ACS management in New Zealand. Along with the higher proportions using aspirin and statins, and the differences in beta-blocker dispensing by COPD severity, this suggests a particular reluctance to prescribe beta-blockers to patients with COPD.