Pharmacist Interventions in Hypertension Care: Assessing Effectiveness on Blood Pressure Control and Medication Adherence in Community Pharmacies in Uyo

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of pharmacist-led interventions on clinical outcomes, specifically blood pressure control and medication adherence, among hypertensive patients attending community pharmacies in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. A prospective, longitudinal, open-label, two-arm parallel, non-randomized controlled trial was conducted between January and July 2023 across five strategically selected community pharmacies. A total of 268 hypertensive patients were recruited, with 134 assigned to the intervention group and 134 to the control group. The control group received routine pharmacy care, while the intervention group received structured pharmacist-led care, including adherence counselling, lifestyle education and weekly follow-up via telephone and SMS reminders. Blood pressure was measured weekly using a validated Omron electronic monitor and medication adherence was assessed at baseline, three months and six months using the Medication Adherence Report Scale-5 (MARS-5). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0, applying independent and paired t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square/Fisher exact tests for categorical variables, with significance set at p<0.05. Of the 268 participants, 249 completed the study. Results indicated that the intervention group experienced significant reductions in systolic (14.8 mmHg at three months; 11.4 mmHg at six months) and diastolic blood pressure (9.3 mmHg at three months; 8.1 mmHg at six months), while adherence scores increased markedly from 73.4 ± 15 at baseline to 92.7 ± 10.5 at six months, compared to minimal changes in the control group. Additionally, drug-related problems were effectively identified and managed in the intervention group. The study concluded that pharmacist-led interventions significantly improved blood pressure control, medication adherence.