In commemoration of World Heart Day, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has unveiled a new Hypertension Pharmacy Toolkit designed to support pharmacy teams in the prevention, early detection, and management of hypertension. Hypertension is a leading cardiovascular disease that affects one in three adults worldwide, with high systolic blood pressure contributing to over 10 million deaths annually.
The FIP, in a statement shared with Pharmanewsonline, asserts that the number of people living with hypertension has doubled over the past decades, highlighting the urgent need for early detection and effective management to prevent cardiovascular complications.
Pharmanewsonline reports that World Heart Day is marked on 29 September every year as a global campaign established by the World Heart Federation (WHF) in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and promote heart-healthy lifestyles. The day is designed to enlighten people on preventable CVD deaths, highlight the importance of screening and equitable heart care, and urge governments to take action to improve access to treatment. The campaign encourages individuals to adopt heart-healthy habits such as balanced diets, regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco, as 80 per cent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke are preventable.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), through its journal, observed with dismay from emerging epidemiological data that hypertension has become a major public health challenge, and Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, significantly contributes to this burden.
“In a country with 209.6 million people in 2019 and a life expectancy of 54 years in 2018, about 25 per cent of hospital admissions among adults are due to complications of hypertension. The overall prevalence of hypertension ranges from 8-46.6 percent (27.3 percent on average), with an almost equal male to female ratio. The estimated prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria from studies published between 1980 and 2013 (using a cut-off definition of ≥140/90 mmHg) is 28.9 per cent, while it is 30.6 per cent in urban and 26.4 per cent among rural dwellers”, the NMA disclosed.
To mitigate further deterioration of the condition among the global populace, the FIP recommends the use of this new toolkit by pharmacists and other healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes.
According to the FIP, the toolkit equips community pharmacy teams with practical resources to identify at-risk patients, deliver motivational counselling, and collaborate effectively with prescribers to enhance patient care.
“This toolkit was developed to motivate and enable community pharmacy teams to establish or strengthen hypertension assessment and management programmes in their communities, building on their accessibility and expertise in medication management and lifestyle counselling,” said Dr Inês Nunes da Cunha, FIP Practice Development and Transformation Manager.
The resource is built around four core elements to help integrate hypertension services into pharmacy practice. These include an educational guide offering essential knowledge and practical guidance for pharmacists in hypertension care; a hypertension pharmacy assessment tool, which is a conversation-based approach to support patient counselling on risks, screening, and management; a patient information leaflet to reinforce counselling and provide patients with clear, practical information; and a primary care referral letter to strengthen communication and collaboration between pharmacists and physicians.
The FIP invites expressions of interest from its member organisations wishing to adapt the toolkit to their local contexts and regulatory environments.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) through its journal, observed with dismay from emerging epidemiological data that hypertension has become a major public health challenge and Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, hugely contributes to this burden.
“In a country with 209.6 million people in 2019 and a life expectancy of 54 years in 2018, about 25 per cent of hospital admissions among adults are due to complications of hypertension. The overall prevalence of hypertension ranges from 8-46.6 percent (27.3 percent on average), with an almost equal male to female ratio. The estimated prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria from studies published between 1980 and 2013 (using a cut-off definition of ≥140/90 mmHg) is 28.9 per cent, while it is 30.6 per cent in urban and 26.4 per cent among rural dwellers”, the NMA disclosed.
To mitigate further denegation of the condition among the global populace, the FIP recommends the usage of this new toolkit by pharmacists and other healthcare providers to assist patients’ outcomes,
According to the FIP. “The toolkit equips community pharmacy teams with practical resources to identify at-risk patients, deliver motivational counselling and collaborate effectively with prescribers to improve patient outcomes.”
“This toolkit was developed to motivate and enable community pharmacy teams to establish or strengthen hypertension assessment and management programmes in their communities, building on their accessibility and expertise in medication management and lifestyle counselling,” said Dr Inês Nunes da Cunha, FIP Practice Development and Transformation Manager.
The resource is built around four core elements to help integrate hypertension services into pharmacy practice. They include an educational guide – a module offering essential knowledge and practical guidance for pharmacists in hypertension care.
The second is a hypertension pharmacy assessment tool, which is a conversation-based tool to support patient counselling on risks, screening, and management. Another one is a patient information leaflet –a take-home resource to reinforce counselling and provide patients with clear, practical information; and primary care referral letter, which is a template to strengthen communication and collaboration between pharmacists and physicians.
The FIP invites expressions of interest from its member organisations wishing to adapt the toolkit to their local contexts and regulatory environments.
%20has%20unveiled%20a%20new%20Hypertension%20Pharmacy%20Toolkit){kind=link}