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. 2023 Mar;37(3):235-240.
doi: 10.1038/s41371-022-00670-4. Epub 2022 Mar 21.

Perceptions of pharmacists on the quality of automated blood pressure devices: a national survey

Dean S Picone  1 , Gregory M Peterson  2 , Shane L Jackson  2 , Norm R C Campbell  3 , Christian Delles  4 , Michael Hecht Olsen  5   6 , Raj Padwal  7 , Aletta E Schutte  8   9   10   11 , James E Sharman  12
Affiliations

Perceptions of pharmacists on the quality of automated blood pressure devices: a national survey

Dean S Picone et al. J Hum Hypertens. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

A recent study found that only 23.8% of blood pressure (BP) devices available for purchase from Australian pharmacies were validated for accuracy. The extent to which pharmacists are aware of this, and other issues related to the accuracy of BP devices, is not known and gathering this information was the aim of this study. An online survey of Australian pharmacists was distributed via the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia between 1 October and 25 November 2020. Questions were focused on the views of pharmacists related to the accuracy of BP devices. Two hundred and ten pharmacists completed the survey. The accuracy of BP devices sold by pharmacists was considered 'quite' or 'extremely important' to most respondents (94%). However, most respondents (90%) were unaware that less than one-quarter of BP devices sold by Australian pharmacies were validated, and this was 'quite' or 'extremely surprising' to many (69%). Many respondents (64%) associated a particular brand of BP device with greater accuracy. There was low awareness on proper ways to identify accurate BP devices, such as checking reputable online databases (43%). BP devices were stocked in respondents' pharmacies based on perceived quality (50%), accuracy (40%), or as determined by the pharmacy chain (36%). In conclusion, providing accurate BP devices to consumers is important to pharmacists, but they were generally unaware that most devices available from pharmacies were not validated for accuracy. Pharmacist education, alongside advocacy for policies including regulations and strategic action, is required to ensure only validated BP devices are sold in Australia.

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Conflict of interest statement

DSP and JES are consultants of HEARTS in the Americas, an initiative of the Pan American Health Organisation. AES has received speaker honoraria from Omron Healthcare. NRCC reports personal fees from Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) and the World Bank, and is an unpaid consultant on dietary sodium and hypertension control to numerous governmental and non-governmental organisations. RP is Canadian representative to the ISO Sphygmomanometer committee and sits on the AAMI Sphygmomanometer committee and Co-Founder and CEO of a digital health company (mmHg Inc), based at the University of Alberta. JES is principal investigator of a National Health and Medical Research Council partnership grant (S0026615) that includes a medical technology company that manufactures a central BP monitor.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Responses to survey questions on knowledge of blood pressure device validation in Australia.
Distribution of responses to the questions “Is the accuracy of blood pressure devices sold by pharmacists an issue of importance to you?” (A) and “Is this statistic (that 23.8% of blood pressure devices sold by pharmacies in Australia have passed accuracy testing according to rigorous scientific standards) surprising to you?” (B). Each respondent could only select a single option from five-point Likert scales.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Prevalence of survey responses to factors that could be used to identify the accuracy of a blood pressure device.
There was no limit on the number of factors a respondent could select. Data adjacent to each bar represent n (%).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Brands of blood pressure devices and percentage of respondents who associated one brand with being more accurate than others (black segment of bars).
There was no limit on the number of brands of devices a respondent could select. Data adjacent to each bar represent n (%).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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