Exploring the Role of Pharmacists in Management of Hypertension in a Safety Net Clinic

Potrero Hill Health Center through the San Francisco Department of Public Health aims to deliver health promotion, disease prevention, heath maintenance, counseling, and health education of acute and chronic diseases. Hypertension is a common problem to both the health center and to the general population, and Potrero Hill Health Center aims to understand and develop a program that will aid in hypertension management at their local clinic. A supplemental pharmacist service was implemented at Potrero Hill Health Center to help manage hypertensive patients. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were compared in patients receiving pharmacist counseling versus those receiving physician services only. Preliminary findings demonstrated that when compared to treatment as usual, those receiving supplemental pharmacist services had better hypertension control with significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic levels. Pharmacist counseling in community health clinics may have a beneficial public health impact in controlling hypertension, thus reducing potential complications of hypertension such as cardiovascular disease in low-income, minority populations