Description of a pharmacist-led employee wellness hypertension program utilizing remote monitoring devices.

Abstract

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Purpose: The design, implementation, and impact of a pharmacist-led employee wellness hypertension program that utilizes remote blood pressure monitoring are described.

Summary: Employees of a private university and health insurance beneficiaries with a diagnosis of hypertension or a documented high blood pressure reading at a previous screening encounter were eligible to participate in the program. Participants received a remote blood pressure monitoring device and followed up with a pharmacist in person or via telehealth throughout the program. The pharmacist provided education on lifestyle modifications to improve blood pressure control, and recommendations regarding changes to the participant's medication therapy were made to the participant's primary care provider. Participants completed an in-person appointment at month 3 of the program for blood pressure reassessment. Twenty-four participants were enrolled in the program. The mean baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 134 mm Hg and 85 mm Hg, respectively. Of the total of 24 participants, 18 participants (75%) had a blood pressure above their goal at baseline. At month 3 of the program, 7 of these 18 participants (39%) had achieved their blood pressure goal, with average systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreases of 8.9 mm Hg and 7.8 mm Hg, respectively. Pharmacist recommendations to primary care providers regarding medication changes had an acceptance rate of 70%.

Conclusion: A pharmacist-led employee wellness hypertension monitoring program that utilized remote monitoring devices improved employee blood pressure control through education on lifestyle modifications and medication recommendations to the participants' primary care providers.