Clinical outcome of a mandatory formulary switch for dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker therapy at a Veteran's Administration Medical Center.
Recently, changes in antihypertensive therapies with similar properties have been made based primarily on cost savings for hospital formularies. To assess blood pressure (BP) control and adverse side effects associated with a switch of patients on nifedipine GITS to felodipine at our Veteran's Administration Medical Center (VAMC), we prospectively studied physician records and patient-reported side effects (both from the medical record and patient questionnaires) in 127 hypertensive patients (70 +/- 10 years, 95% men, 88% nonblack, 44% with coronary disease) who underwent the forced switch in therapy. During the period of patient visits/chart review, physicians were unaware that the study was being conducted. A minimum of 2 months and two visits on each therapy was required for patient inclusion. The mean doses of nifedipine GITS and felodipine used were 55 +/- 24 mg/day and 8 +/- 2.6 mg/day, respectively. The use of supplemental antihypertensive agents was similar in both calcium channel blocker groups. Systolic BPs and heart rates were similar in patients taking the two drugs, and the diastolic BP was modestly lower in patients taking felodipine (78 +/- 10 mm Hg for felodipine and 80 +/- 10 mm Hg for nifedipine, P < .05). There were no differences in the incidence of side effects (both patient-reported and provider-reported) for the two antihypertensive therapies. These data demonstrate that in an hypertensive population followed in a VAMC, mandatory switching of stable dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker therapy did not result in any significant changes in short-term (2 to 3 months) BP control nor were adverse side effects different based on both physician- and patient- reported sources of information.
Gustin
G
G
Section of Hypertension and Vascular Diseases, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, USA.
White
W B
WB
Taylor
S
S
Daragjati
C
C
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003237:Connecticut; D015736:Felodipine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005572:Formularies, Hospital as Topic; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009543:Nifedipine; D015736:Felodipine