Impact of a pharmacist and nurse led clinic on patient blood pressure control

Abstract

Abstract Background Studies suggest that uncontrolled hypertension may be due to patients' lack of adherence to medications or diet. Pharmacists and nurses have been shown to be uniquely qualified to assist in the care of these patients. Purpose To see if a hypertension clinic run by a pharmacist and registered nurse can help patients obtain blood pressure control. Methods The experimental group consisted of patients with uncontrolled hypertension whose physician referred them to a hypertension clinic that is operated by a pharmacist and a registered nurse for three visits. The patient's initial visit to the clinic and only the first 3 visits were analyzed. The control group includes patients with hypertension that are not seen at the hypertension clinic. The average reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the status of blood pressure goal achievement with the JNC VIII guideline will be compared to the control group using appropriate statistical tests. Results The percentage of patients at their goal blood pressure was 59.4% in the pharmacist/nurse clinic, compared to 33.3% in the primary care provider clinic (p = 0.048). Conclusion The intervention of an interdisciplinary collaborative drug therapy management-certified pharmacist and registered nurse both statistically and clinically significantly improved the care of patients with hypertension.