Impact of a Pharmacist-Led Hypertension Management Program for Oral Chemotherapy in a Specialty Pharmacy Setting

Abstract

Introduction Oral chemotherapy agents are a growing area of oncology treatment, but some are associated with a high incidence of hypertension. Management of hypertension in oncology patients may be insufficient due to a variety of reasons. A pharmacist-led hypertension management service within the specialty pharmacy setting has the potential to help patients on oral chemotherapy achieve and maintain adequate blood pressure control. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a pharmacist-led hypertension management program on the blood pressure control of patients on oral chemotherapy. Methods This retrospective, single-center study compared data from two groups of patients receiving oral chemotherapy agents from a health systems specialty pharmacy within an academic medical center, before and after the establishment of a pharmacist-led hypertension management program. Results Twenty-one of 50 (0.42) patients in the control group had blood pressure overall at goal, compared to 19 of 29 (0.66) patients in the intervention group who had blood pressures at goal at the end of the specified 3-month time period (p  =  0.04). In cases where a pharmacist intervention was necessary per the hypertension management program's protocol, the rate of provider acceptance of recommendations regarding modifying or initiating antihypertensive therapy was high. Conclusion When followed with a pharmacist-led hypertension management program, patients on oral chemotherapy showed improved blood pressure control and reduced mean blood pressure readings over time.