The impact of pharmaceutical care on patients with hypertension and their pharmacists

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of pharmaceutical care on patients' knowledge, quality of life and blood pressure and to determine whether new type of pharmaceutical services changes the pharmacists' satisfaction and knowledge. METHODS Community pharmacies were randomly assigned to study and control group and pharmacists from both groups included patients with hypertension, who meet inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study group provided the pharmaceutical care (education, pharmacotherapy monitoring, detecting and solving drug related problems) for their patients, while the control group provided the standard pharmaceutical services (dispensing medicines with or without counseling). At the beginning and the end of the study pharmacists and patients filled in the knowledge test. Pharmacists fulfilled also satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS Survey data were collected from 28 and 56 patients from community pharmacies in study and control group respectively. At the last meeting the normal blood pressure achieved 79% and 55% patients in study and control group, respectively (p>0,05). The pharmaceutical care improved patients' knowledge about disease. Pharmacists from study group, who provided pharmaceutical care, had higher level of pharmacotherapy knowledge and professional satisfaction than the control group. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of pharmaceutical care into the pharmacy practice benefits both, patients and pharmacists.