PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: THE ROLE OF PHARMACISTS IN ADHERENCE TO HYPERTENSION TREATMENT
Palavras-chave:
Hypertension, Treatment adherence, Pharmacist, Primary CareResumo
Hypertension is a chronic condition characterized by persistently high blood pressure, usually equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg. In more than 90% of cases, it is hereditary and represents one of the main risk factors for serious complications, such as stroke, acute myocardial infarction, aneurysms, and renal and heart failure. Despite the availability of effective therapies, blood pressure control remains unsatisfactory at the population level, with low adherence to treatment and late initiation of drug therapy being factors that compromise results. In this scenario, pharmacists in primary care play a key role in offering pharmacotherapeutic follow-up, reviewing medication use, and encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits, contributing to improving the quality of life of hypertensive patients. Objective: To evaluate the role of pharmacists in primary care in promoting and strengthening adherence to drug treatment in patients with hypertension.Materials and Methods: This study is an integrative literature review based on a search for articles in the online databases SciELO, National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Lilacs, and Virtual Health Library (VHL). Publications from 2020 to 2025 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish were included, and works outside the central theme were excluded. Results: According to the analysis, educational actions, goal setting, and multidisciplinary support favor adherence to hypertension treatment. Pharmacotherapeutic follow-up by pharmacists is essential to optimize the use of medications and strengthen the bond with patients. Subsidy programs for the purchase of medications also stood out as an effective strategy, especially in low-income populations.Conclusion: The role of pharmacists in primary care is essential to improving adherence to treatment for high blood pressure, whether through pharmacotherapeutic monitoring, guidance on the correct use of medications, or encouraging healthy lifestyle habits. Combined with multidisciplinary strategies, this intervention contributes to better blood pressure control, prevention of complications, and promotion of patients' quality of life.
Referências
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