Pharmacist's role in hypertension management: a review of key randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Hypertension (HTN) is a leading cause of death and disability throughout the world. Yet, despite widely available treatment options, blood pressure (BP) control rates have remained relatively stagnant. One approach to address this issue is through collaborative care models, particularly those employing pharmacists. Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCT) have demonstrated the effectiveness of pharmacist interventions to improve BP control across primary care, community-based, and telemedicine models. A meta-analysis of 39 RCTs has demonstrated that pharmacist interventions significantly reduce both systolic and diastolic BP compared with controls across diverse patient populations. Pharmacists can contribute to HTN management in a variety of ways, including assisting with out-of-office monitoring, providing education, identifying and resolving nonadherence, and titrating antihypertensive therapy to achieve BP control. In this review, we discuss key trials conducted in recent years that support the role of pharmacists in HTN management and provide guidance on practical considerations for working collaboratively with pharmacists to improve BP control.