Research shows that nonadherence to medication for a long-term condition develops rapidly, with 30 per cent of patients being non-adherent at 10 days. Studies have also shown that patients receiving support from a pharmacist when starting a new medicine, to complement advice given by the prescriber, are more likely to still be taking it as prescribed at 28 days.⁵ The research also demonstrated that the number of patients with medicine-related problems also reduced significantly. Better adherence is associated with better clinical outcomes.⁵ This would be beneficial for patients prescribed a new medicine for hypertension. It would enable the patient to be well informed and responsible for their own health and thereby more likely to continue taking the medication. This would prevent the need to add on another medicine or to increase the dose of the current medicine unless absolutely necessary. It would also prevent wastage of unused medicines as well as unnecessary increases in dosage, which could lead to potentially dangerous hypotensive episodes and falls, especially in the elderly.

References:

1. Blood Pressure Association. [Last accessed 11 June 2014]
2. Rapsomaniki E, Timmis A, George J et al. Blood pressure and incidence of twelve cardiovascular diseases: lifetime risks, health life-years lost, and age-specific associations in 1.25 million people. Lancet 2014; 383: 1899-1911.
3. NICE clinical guideline 127. Hypertension: clinical management of primary hypertension in adults [Last accessed 11 June 2014]
4. British Hypertension Society
5. Feedback form for GPs

Record your learning

Once you have read this article, use the following CPD questions to help you reflect on what you have learned and how it might affect your everyday work. Remember to record your learning on the GPhC website if you are registered (www.uptodate.org.uk). Otherwise, it is good practice to record it in your ongoing learning and development folder.

• What did I learn that was new? (Evaluate)
• How have I put this into practice? (Provide examples of how learning has been applied.) (Evaluate)
• Do I need to learn anything else in this area? (Reflect)