OBJECTIVES: We examined the potential clinical implications of prescribing patterns of generic statins within 11 Latin American markets (LA11).  In LA11, generic versions of pravastatin, simvastatin and atorvastatin are available, however, each statin has a different LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering efficacy that may ultimately result in differences in the incidence of CV events. 2011 LA11 prescription data indicate that statins are prescribed at doses that do not yield equivalent LDL-C lowering. Thus we calculated the weighted average daily doses (WADDs) of pravastatin, simvastatin and atorvastatin within LA11 and estimated the average LDL lowering with each statin, and the incidence of CV events.  METHODS: The WADDs of prescribed simvastatin, pravastatin and atorvastatin in LA11 were derived from IMS data. The LDL-C modifying potencies of the WADDs were interpolated from dose response curves from Nicholls et al (Am J Cardiol, 2010), and Law et al (BMJ, 2003). The relationship between LDL-C reduction and the resultant impact on cardiovascular events was derived from the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration (CTTC, Lancet 2010), where a 1mmol/L reduction in LDL-C, translated  to a 22% reduction in major cardiovascular events. RESULTS: Across LA11, the WADDs for pravastatin, simvastatin and atorvastatin were 24.9mg, 22.4mg and 20.6mg, respectively. The corresponding reductions in LDL-C at these doses were estimated to be 25.0%, 33.4% and 40.6%. Assuming a pre-treatment LDL-C of 4.0mmol/L, these lipid changes would lead to reductions in the risk of a major coronary/stroke event of 22.0%, 29.4% and 35.8%, respectively.  CONCLUSIONS: At currently prescribed WADDs in LA11, the real world use of atorvastatin provides a superior reduction in LDL-C to either simvastatin or pravastatin, and hence would be expected to result in a greater reduction in cardiovascular events.