What is the role of the pharmacist in patients with high blood pressure? Answers from Dr Tufa Nyasenu, Chairman of the NPPO Board

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Extract from the article: High blood pressure (HBP) is an almost unavoidable health problem once you reach a certain age. High blood pressure is a condition that can be lived with without too much difficulty when it is under control. The role of the pharmacist is therefore to

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High blood pressure (HBP) is an almost unavoidable health problem once you reach a certain age. High blood pressure is a condition that can be lived with without too much difficulty when it is under control. The role of the pharmacist is therefore to accompany his patients with hypertension day after day.

Prevention

When he meets his patients in the pharmacy, the pharmacist can raise awareness and prevent hypertension. Indeed, this pathology can be delayed thanks to a healthy lifestyle: diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat and salt, regular physical activity). The onset of this condition does not cause any particular symptoms in patients, except for a few localised headaches, fatigue or insomnia. Therefore, it is necessary to have regular blood pressure checks during visits to health professionals.

Therapeutic education for patients with hypertension

In order to confirm a diagnosis of hypertension, it is common for the doctor to ask the patient to take several blood pressure readings at home using a blood pressure monitor purchased from a pharmacy. The "white coat effect": the medical environment can unconsciously create stress in patients. Relying solely on an office or pharmacy blood pressure measurement means taking the risk that the measurements do not reflect the patient's normal blood pressure level.

The pharmacist should train the patient in the correct use of the device and re-explain if necessary how to measure blood pressure at home, according to the "3" rule, i.e.: 3 times in the morning at the beginning of breakfast before taking any medication, 3 times in the evening before going to bed with a 2 minute interval between each measurement, and in 3 consecutive days. Write down the results in a small notebook and present it to the doctor.

How to measure your blood pressure on your own?

There are some simple rules for measuring your blood pressure by yourself:

Before : Do not take your medication before the measurement and do not smoke or drink coffee in the hour before the assessment. Always take the measurement at the same time, in a quiet place and after 5 minutes of rest.

During : Sit with your elbow on a support. The cuff or cuff of the monitor should be at heart level. Do not move or talk while the device is measuring.

Afterwards: Wait 1 to 2 minutes between measurements, then write down the numbers on a piece of paper.

Delivering blood pressure treatment

Many patients need to take medication to bring their blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg. They therefore have to go regularly to the pharmacy to collect their blood pressure medication. This is an opportunity for the pharmacist to get the patient to adhere to the treatment and to check that the patient has understood the importance of taking the medication regularly. Antihypertensive or hypotensive drugs do not cure this vascular pathology, but restore a blood pressure level that is more appropriate for the body.

Each time the treatment is renewed, the pharmacist should check compliance and even propose a therapeutic interview. Similarly, a patient with hypertension who is on medication may be on another temporary treatment. The dispensing of prescription drugs after pharmaceutical validation, adherence and compliance, counselling and therapeutic education are pharmaceutical acts. The role of the pharmacist is fundamental and his missions are varied.

Interview by William O.