Pharmacist involvement improves outcomes for hypertension and cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis

A new systematic review of 95 global studies published in the journal Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine found that patients with hypertension have better outcomes when receiving care from a pharmacist. High blood pressure is the leading contributor to global mortality, thanks to its relationship with cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease and stroke. One strategy to lower blood pressure levels? Getting help from a non-physician healthcare professional like a pharmacist, nurse or other community health worker. Pharmacists in particular “have a pivotal role as highly accessible healthcare providers and experts in medication management,” the authors of the study write. The study, Pharmacists delivering hypertension care services: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials analyzed community-based models of care with the involvement of a pharmacist and other non-physician healthcare professionals to see if they could improve blood pressure control, and thus improve cardiovascular health. The researchers from Switzerland, Italy and Canada looked at randomized controlled trials and found 2,330 studies in seven electronic records where pharmacists had intervened in care. In total, they analyzed 31,168 participants with 16,157 control participants and the other 15,011 who had received pharmacist interventions. Of these, 75% patients had pharmacist-led interventions, while 25% of them had pharmacist care in conjunction with other healthcare providers. Interventions included patient education (in 88% of cases), feedback to healthcare providers about how a patient is doing and if they should switch medications (49% of cases), healthcare provider education (14%) and patient reminders to adhere to their medication schedule (24%). The researchers found that systolic and diastolic blood pressure were reduced by an average of 5.3 mmH and 2.3 mmHg respectively. Reduction in systolic blood pressure was also higher for patients who had care that was collaborative, done in an outpatient clinic (as opposed to in community pharmacies), based on healthcare provider education or through healthcare provider feedback. “This evidence should inform changes to the delivery of care in hypertension and would help to address the approximately 50% of patients with uncontrolled hypertension,” the authors write, calling for more research for pharmacist-led and collaborative care for patients with hypertension. The study authors concluded that: "Pharmacist care for patients with hypertension consistently improves BP across various settings and interventions. Pharmacist care is one key element of the solution to the global burden of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases."

Pharmacist involvement improves outcomes for hypertension and cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis

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