Implementation of a self-measured blood pressure program in a community pharmacy: A pilot study

Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease in the United States and is costing the health care system billions of dollars annually. A health program that combines education, empowerment, and monitoring has shown to improve clinical outcomes and decrease overall health care costs.

To describe the implementation and effectiveness of a self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) program in a community pharmacy.

An independent community pharmacy located within rural Southeast Missouri. On-site community pharmacists provide medication therapy management, adherence monitoring, immunizations, and reimbursed clinical services.

Patients were eligible if they were older than 18 years of age and fell into one of the following categories: self-reported a new hypertension diagnosis, self-reported a desire to SMBP, were referred by a provider, or had a medication change within the 3 months before enrollment. The program consisted of 4 patient sessions. The first session obtained an initial blood pressure and provided patient education and behavior counseling. Follow-up sessions obtained average SMBP readings and reinforced previously learned concepts.

Implementation was evaluated using time and patient satisfaction. Effectiveness was evaluated using number and type of clinical problems identified, BP measurements, and test scores.

A total of 20 patients enrolled and completed the study. The program took 63 minutes (SD ± 18) of staff time per patient for recruitment, sessions, reminder calls, and documentation. All patients received education and monitoring and 11 additional clinical problems were documented. Systolic BP decreased an average of 17 mm Hg (P = 0.002), and diastolic BP decreased an average of 12 mm Hg (P < 0.001). Patient confidence scores increased by 14%, and 7 more patients correctly answered the post-test knowledge question. All patients reported overall satisfaction with the program as "satisfied" or "very satisfied."

This standardized SMBP program effectively improved hypertension control and patient confidence in managing BP.