LEARN TOGETHER CARE TOGETHER

Promoting adequate
blood pressure control

INTRODUCTION

Hypertension affects approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide, including 50 million in the United States. Hypertension is the most common primary diagnosis in the United States. As the population ages, the prevalence of hypertension will increase. More than half of all individuals 60 to 69 years of age have hypertension, while approximately three-fourths of those age 70 and older have hypertension. Data from the Framingham Heart Study suggests that even individuals whose blood pressure is in the normal range at age 55 have a 90 percent lifetime risk of developing hypertension. Non-Hispanic blacks are more likely to have hypertension than non-Hispanic whites. Other risk factors include obesity, salt intake and family history (Table 1). To make matters worse, nearly 25 percent of individuals with hypertension are unaware of their condition.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly 55,000 people died from hypertension in the United States in 2004. The death rates per 100,000 individuals from hypertension were 15. 7 for white males, 5l for black males, 14. 5 for white females and 40.9 for black females. The higher the blood pres-

Patient Case

Mr. Ellis, a local businessman who is in his early 60s, is standing at the pharmacy counter with a prescription in his hand. As he hands the prescription to the technician to be filled, Mr. Ellis comments that the doctor has prescribed another medication to help control his blood pressure. He appears very frustrated by this. The technician notices in the medication profile that Mr. Ellis has been on numerous different antihypertensive agents over the past two years. She does not comment on this fact or inquire further about this situation because she does not want to upset Mr. Ellis any further. She simply states that she will get the medication filled as quickly as possible.

Case Discussion

Patients taking medications for hypertension often visit the pharmacy for refills on medications more often than they visit their primary care provider. This provides a unique opportunity to assist patients in achieving their blood pressure goals through education and reinforcement. The technician should seize this opportunity to have the pharmacist work with this patient to identify ways to improve his blood pressure.

 

sure, the greater the risk. And risks come in many forms, including heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. For individuals between the ages of 40 and 70, the risk of cardiovascular disease doubles with

each 20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure or each 10 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure. The risk of death from ischemic heart disease and stroke increases progressively and linearly with in-

Lauren S. Schlesselman, Pharm.D Assistant Clinical Professor University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy

Universal Program Number:

401-000-08-203-H01

Initial release date: June 1, 2008

Planned expiration date: June 1, 2011

This program is worth one contact hour (0.1CEU).

Target Audience:

Pharmacy technicians in community-based practice.

Program Goal:

To enable pharmacy technicians to assist patients in meeting goals for managing hypertension.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this program, the pharmacy technician should be able to:

1. Identify reasons patients with HTN do not make goal.

2. Identify patients for whom noncompliance with medications may be an issue.

3. List actions patients with HTN can take to improve health outcomes.

4. Describe proper home blood pressure monitoring procedures.

5. Refer patients to the pharmacist for counseling as needed.

To obtain credit: Answer the questions at the end of this lesson on the answer sheet provided. If you are submitting your answers by mail or fax, completely fill in the circle corresponding to your answer with a black pen (no pencils or blue pens please). A statement of credit will be sent to participants achieving a minimum score of 70 percent correct responses. Statements of credit are issued within seven days of receipt, if submitted by mail or fax, and immediately, if submitted online.

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Questions regarding statements of credit and other
customer service issues should be directed to An-
gela Sims at (800) 933-9666. Fax to (813) 626-7203
or mail completed answer sheet to Drug Store News
Pharmacy Practice, P.O. Box 31180, Tampa, FL
33631-3180. Programs also may be completed on-
line at www.cedrugstorenews.com.
This lesson is free of charge to pharmacy technicians.

This lesson has been developed to meet requirements for PTCB recertification.

Drug Store News is accredited by the Accreditation
Council on Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
Copyright 2008 by Lebhar-Friedman
All rights reserved

Drug Store News

www.cedrugstorenews.com/40100008203H01

May/June 2008