Utjecaj ljekarničke intervencije na stupanj adherencije pacijenata koji koriste antihipertenzivne lijekove

Objectives: This research aims to determine level of anti-hypertensive adherence and how interventions of community pharmacist can impact on it. The aim is also to analyse how the adherence reflects on control of hypertension. Patients and methods: 200 patients were involved in the study, after receiving antihypertensive drug therapy in a community pharmacy. Two questionnaires were used for data collection. The first questionnaire contained eighteen questions, eight questions that wanted to determine adherence using Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and ten more questions about sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the participants. Patients were divided into two groups - control and intervention, each of the groups consisted of 100 participants. Patients who wanted individual pharmacy counseling were included in the intervention group and were given pharmacist's intervention . Pharmacist's intervention included the education of the patient on the treatment of hypertension, the identification and resolution of drug related problems, the counseling about home blood pressure measurement and lifestyle counseling. It was conducted in a private counselling area. The control group received usual pharmacy care. Two months after completing the first questionnaire, all patients were re-evaluated for adherence and blood pressure was measured. The second questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: There was no statistically significant difference at the anti-hypertensive adherence among the comparable groups at the beginning of the study. 50% of all patients showed a high adherence. Moderate adherence was found at 22% and low at 28% patients. Blood pressure was controlled (SAT < 140 mmHg and DAT < 90 mmHg) at the 31.5% of all patients. Patients with higher adherence levels had better controlled blood pressure. Statistically significant adherence improvement was noted at the intervention group. Two months after the intervention of the community pharmacist we reported 8% less patients with low adherence and 3% more moderately and 5% more high adherent patients. At the end of the study we also noted more patients with controlled blood pressure in both groups. Conclusion: This study has confirmed that adherence level directly affects the outcomes of the treatment. Nonadherence was recognized at half of the patients. Study results also indicate that community pharmacist interventions can improve adherence and could be useful in the management of high blood pressure.