Pharmacist-Led Clinic Increases Access to Hypertension Management

A pharmacist-led hypertension management program for patients without a primary care provider resulted in the achievement of blood pressure goals in participants who completed five visits, according to a study published in Innovations in Pharmacy. 

The pilot study included 116 patients with high blood pressure who were discharged from the emergency department or screened at community health events and lacked a regular primary care provider relationship, explained researchers from Wayne State University in Detroit. Patients were referred to the outpatient pharmacist-led transitional care clinic, which was implemented through a collaborative practice agreement with emergency department physicians, for hypertension management.

Among the 116 adults aged 18 to 60 enrolled in the clinic, 44 completed a single visit, 30 completed at least three visits, and 16 completed five visits. Almost 98% of participants were African American, nearly half were men, and their average age was 42. 

Patients who completed between three and five visits had a significant reduction in blood pressure between visits one and two, which was maintained through visit five for those who remained in the study. 

Patients who completed all five visits were down an average 23 mmHg in systolic blood pressure, according to the study. Furthermore, the cohort achieved its blood pressure goal of an average 139/90 mmHg. 

“The pharmacist-led transitional care clinic was successfully implemented,” researchers concluded. “Outpatient pharmacists collaborating with emergency department physicians increased access to hypertension management with a positive impact on blood pressure outcomes in an under-resourced population.”

Reference: 

Stewart B, Brody A, Garwood CL, Zhang L, Levy PD. Implementation of Outpatient Pharmacist-led Hypertension Management for Under-Resourced Patients: A Pilot Study. Innov Pharm. 2021;12(2):10.24926/iip.v12i2.3895. Published 2021 Apr 27. doi:10.24926/iip.v12i2.3895