Lack of validated blood pressure devices for use in pregnancy available from Australian pharmacies

Abstract

Blood pressure monitoring is a critical aspect of prenatal care, as hypertension during pregnancy can lead to serious complications such as preeclampsia, eclampsia, and other hypertensive disorders. Automatic blood pressure devices are widely used for home monitoring due to their convenience and ease of use. The use of validated automated blood pressure monitors is recommended by the International Society of Hypertension for home blood pressure measurements, and automatic devices require accuracy validation among people who are pregnant before they are recommended for use in pregnancy. This study evaluated availability of such devices from 18 Australian pharmacies. Only four devices (4/54, 7%) were validated for pregnancy and were more expensive than devices validated for the general population (14/54, 26%) and non-validated devices (40/54, 74%). Additionally, limited labelling and information was available to assist consumers to make informed purchasing decisions about home blood pressure devices for use in pregnancy. Increased availability, clear labelling and consumer education could help ensure use of appropriate blood pressure devices in pregnancy. Automatic blood pressure devices require additional accuracy validation for use in pregnancy. We found only four devices (4/54, 7%) were validated for pregnancy, which were more expensive than non-validated devices. Increased education could help ensure use of appropriate blood pressure devices in pregnancy.