Effectiveness of a nationwide community pharmacist-led program promoting home blood pressure monitoring on hypertension control and self-management

Abstract Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring (HBPM) is fundamental to effective hypertension management. Incorporating community pharmacists into care delivery, especially via hybrid case management methods utilizing digital telemonitoring, presents a promising strategy for enhancing BP control and patient self-management. Nonetheless, the efficacy of these interventions at a national level remains inadequately investigated. We performed a nationwide observational study in Taiwan from September to December 2023. A total of 1216 adults with or at increased risk of hypertension were recruited via community pharmacies. Participants were assigned to either digital case management with telemonitoring or traditional pharmacist-led support for 3 months. Outcomes encompassed alterations in BP, alongside hypertension-related knowledge, attitudes, and self-management behaviors. In hypertensive participants, systolic and diastolic BP decreased from 133.2 ± 12.3 mmHg to 129.8 ± 19.3 mmHg ( P = 0.002) 83.1 ± 19.2 mmHg to 79.7 ± 9.0 mmHg ( P < 0.001) over a period of 3 months, respectively. The questionnaire achieved a response rate of 94%, with notable enhancements observed in knowledge (+1.2 points), attitude (+4.2 points), and behavior (+3.5 points) scores (all P < 0.001). Older adults, individuals with diminished educational qualifications, and residents of less urbanized regions exhibited more significant improvements. No notable differences were detected between digital and non-digital case management in BP or behavioral outcomes. A nationwide hybrid intervention promoting HBPM via community pharmacist-led case management resulted in substantial enhancements in BP control and self-management outcomes. Moreover, the method was especially advantageous for socially disadvantaged groups. These findings endorse incorporating pharmacist-led hybrid care models into national hypertension management strategies.