High Blood Pressure Could Be Better Controlled By Applying Teamwork Approach

High blood pressure is a fairly common complaint among Americans. A new study has shown that many Illinois and American patients with high blood pressure have a difficult time keeping their blood pressure under control. Generally, fewer than 40% of Americans with high blood pressure have their hypertension under control.

The Midwest study was conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa. The clinical trial involved over 400 patients with uncontrolled hypertension, i.e. high blood pressure, who were treated at six different clinics around the Midwestern state. While all of the clinics employed clinical pharmacists, only three of those clinics had the pharmacists teamed with physicians.

The outcome of the new study suggests that results can improve if the physician and pharmacist work together as a team to help lower blood pressure. After six months, 53.9% of the patients who were being cared for by a doctor/pharmacist team had gotten their blood pressure under control, compared to 29.9% of the patients of the regular care group.

The new study explained this difference by referring to the need of pharmacists to adjust the medications and dosages several times in order to keep blood pressure at appropriate levels. According to Barry L. Carter, a professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and one of the lead authors of the study, “it can take 4, 5 or 6 different attempts; sometimes a patient winds up on three different medications and goes through three dosage adjustments.” Therefore, those patients whose pharmacists work closely with their physicians are able to make more timely and more appropriate adjustments than those pharmacists not teaming up with physicians.

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Illinois medical malpractice lawsuits for over 30 years, serving those areas in and around Cook County, including Cicero, Bridgeview, Blue Island, and Skokie.