Pharmacists' Interventions to Improve Blood Pressure in Chronic Kidney Disease

This is a prospective randomized two-group pharmacist-led interventional study that was conducted in two public nephrology clinics. The study involved the introduction of pharmaceutical care to improve blood pressure and adherence to the prescribed medications among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Recruited patients were randomly divided into two groups; the intervention group and the control group, with baseline evaluation of outcomes measured.

The Control group was provided with usual care. An intervention group was provided in addition to the usual care, face-to-face education on CKD, hypertension as a co-morbidity and its management, and antihypertensive medication adherence at baseline (group education), 6 months and 12 months (individualized according to each patient's needs), CKD patient educational infographic leaflet at baseline, a calibrated sphygmomanometer digital blood pressure monitor (Chidalex®) for home-based self-measured BP monitoring, a BP logbook at baseline for the recording of blood pressure values daily and hands-on training on BP self-measurement. Also, antihypertensive medication adherence and home-based self-measured BP monitoring, reminder cell phone text messages were sent biweekly throughout the trial period, while phone-in inquiries from the participants and phone-out reinforcement interventions were utilized throughout the trial period.

Both groups were followed for a period of 12 months.

Inclusion criteria

• CKD stages 1 - 4,
• Voluntary written informed consent,
• Willingness to abide by the rules of trial, and
• Availability during the trial duration

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with acute renal failure,
• CKD stage 5,
• Pregnant or lactating women,
• Post-renal transplant patients,
• Patients with HIV infection,
• Critically ill patients or patients known to have cognitive impairment.