Brief report: U.S. trends in use of colchicine by cardiologists and other specialties, 2018 to 2024.

Colchicine has emerged as an effective agent for reducing ASCVD based on recent large cardiovascular outcome trials and exerts its benefit through targeting inflammation. In light of the robust body of data and FDA approval of low-dose colchicine for ASCVD prevention, this paper aimed to use the National Prescription Audit to quantify the volume and trends of colchicine prescriptions dispensed through U.S. retail pharmacies between March 2018 and February 2024. Despite a 6% increase in total monthly prescriptions since 2020, which was driven primarily by cardiologists, this specialty still represents only 2.8%-4% of the national monthly precription totals with small absolute numbers (ie estimated ∼4000 incremental prescriptions/month since 2020), suggesting limited cardiologist adoption of colchicine for ASCVD prevention despite favorable clinical trial data.