Optimizing Hypertension Control in CKD Through Collaborative Pharmacist Interventions

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Cardiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Hypertension is a primary driver of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• Achieving optimal blood pressure (BP) control in CKD patients presents significant clinical challenges.
• Team-based care models, especially those including clinical pharmacists, show promise for hypertension management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evidence on pharmacist-led interventions for BP management in general and specifically within CKD populations.
• To identify the most effective models of pharmacist involvement in BP control for CKD patients.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature on pharmacist-led interventions for BP management.
• Analysis of studies focusing on clinical pharmacist integration into care teams versus asynchronous recommendation models.

Main Results:

• Pharmacist-led interventions integrated into care teams with medication management capabilities demonstrated the greatest efficacy in improving BP control.
• Models relying on asynchronous pharmacist recommendations showed limited success in reducing BP.
• Patients generally exhibit high acceptance of pharmacist-led interventions.

Conclusions:

• Integrated, team-based pharmacist care is crucial for effective BP management in CKD.
• Barriers such as workflow integration, resource limitations, and reimbursement hinder widespread implementation.
• Further research is essential to optimize and scale pharmacist interventions for improved BP control in CKD.