PERSEPSI APOTEKER TERHADAP PERAN APOTEKER DALAM TATA LAKSANA HIPERTENSI DI APOTEK

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Pharmacists have an important role in the management of hypertension. The findings of international qualitative studies with pharmacists showed that negative perceptions of pharmacists is one of barriers to the implementation of the management of hypertension in daily practice. This study aimed to investigate pharmacists’ activities about the management of hypertension in the community setting including: assessment, planning to care plan, implementation of care plan, and monitoring, and to explore the extend about the perceptions of such activities. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 pharmacists working in community pharmacy in Surabaya. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed ad verbatim. Four key themes identified included assessment and documentation, treatment recommendations, counseling, and monitoring. Treatment recommendations of antihypertension medicine either with or without a prescription and counseling were the forms of the implementation of care plan. In general, the pharmacists have positive perceptions about the four key activities. Of all key activities, monitoring was rarely carried out because documentation was hardly ever administered. In addition, factors such as lack of time, pharmacy staff shortage, and limited budget were reported as barriers to the implementation of hypertension management in the community setting. Keywords: Pharmacists’ Perceptions; Hypertension Management; Community Pharmacists, Qualitative Researc