title: Community pharmacy--ideal location to screen and monitor hypertensive patients.
abstract: The goals of this study were (a) to create a patient electronic database by filling in the specially designed Patient Data Sheets (PDS) after interviewing hypertensive patients and (b) to evaluate pharmacists' opportunities for intervention in order to improve hypertensive patients' outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmacists from two Romanian chain community pharmacies interviewed all hypertensive patients that entered the pharmacies during the study period (November-December 2008) and selected 106 subjects using several selection criteria. Pharmacists recorded in specially designed Patient Data Sheet relevant information such as: demographic data, additional diagnostics (if any), lifestyle behaviors and therapeutic data. The records were then transferred into an electronic database and interpreted by the research team.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypertension (HT) as a single disease was present in only 7 patients (6.6%), most of them being diagnosed with multiple illnesses (such as HT and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 25 patients, HT and dyslipidemia (DL) in 20 patients). More than half of the subjects (61.3%) declared they have adopted at least one lifestyle modification component and almost 80% of the patients use two, three or more antihypertensive agents in their medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high incidence of complications among our hypertensive subjects justifies implementing blood pressure monitoring programs in community pharmacies and requires pharmacists' intervention for a better management of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: S.C. S.I.E.P.C.O.F.A.R. S.A., School of Pharmacy, Gr.T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iaşi.
authors.forename: Diana Simona
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Negru
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diaconescu
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Petculescu
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bild
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019468:Disease Management; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008019:Life Style; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000458:organization & administration; D010595:Pharmacists; D024382:Professional Role; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012383:Romania; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents