Surgeon General's Call to Action to Control Hypertension
APhA enthusiastically supports the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension, which aims to make hypertension control a national public health priority.
- The Call to Action supports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2030 goals to increase hypertension control by promoting and identifying proven strategies that can be replicated, adapted, and scaled across diverse settings.
- The report emphasizes pharmacists’ value in hypertension control efforts as well as obstacles to greater participation and impact, including reimbursement.
- Information related to specific sectors and strategies to accelerate progress is available.
- Pharmacists can help spread the word that hypertension control is possible by sharing resources in the partner toolkit.
- Read A National Commitment to Improve the Care of Patients With Hypertension in the US.
APhA is calling on pharmacists nationwide to prioritize hypertension control in their pharmacy practices. APhA is a founding member of the National Hypertension Control Roundtable and has long championed the pharmacist's role in controlling hypertension by engaging in the Million Hearts initiative and collaboration with the National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.
APhA Can Help You Help Patients Control Hypertension
The Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process Approach: An Implementation Guide for Public Health Practitioners: CDC developed this guide to demonstrate how pharmacists can be incorporated into multidisciplinary teams to improve quality of care, including the reduction of racial and socioeconomic disparities. It features real-world examples from the Michigan Medicine Hypertension Pharmacists’ Program.
Pharmacist-Provided Medication Therapy Management in Medicaid: This guide explores what state health agencies and Medicaid decision-makers could consider when implementing or expanding MTM programs and details the core elements of an MTM Service model for implementation.
Using the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process: A Resource Guide for Pharmacists: CDC developed this guide in partnership with APhA to outline how the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process can be used to prevent and manage high blood pressure through team-based care.
Methods and Resources for Engaging Pharmacy Partners: CDC developed this resource in partnership with APhA to outline strategies that health departments can use to enhance team-based care by establishing or expanding pharmacy services as part of public health initiatives.
Using a validated blood pressure device is key to accurately monitoring blood pressure control. Check to make sure you and your patients are using a validated device by visiting ValidateBP.org.
The Million Hearts Hypertension Control Change Package can help health care professionals improve patient blood pressure control with evidence-based resources. This resource outlines process improvements, tools, and resources to optimize control in clinical settings.
Pharmacist Collaborative Practice Agreements: Who, What, Why, and How: This APhA 1-hour CE home study explores how removing existing barriers to efficient pharmacist provided care can reduce the incidence and prevalence of hypertension and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
APhA PharmacyLibrary subscribers can view the PharmacotherapyFirst Cardiology modules for the latest clinical information and guidance, the pharmacist's role, and strategies to address health disparities.
Evidence Supporting Pharmacists' Role in Controlling Hypertension
Cardiovascular Disease: Pharmacy-based Medication Adherence Interventions: The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends tailored pharmacy-based adherence interventions for cardiovascular disease prevention. Evidence shows interventions delivered or guided by pharmacists increase the number of patients who report taking medications as prescribed.
Project IMPACT: Hypertension: Evaluates the impact of pharmacists, working collaboratively with patients, on blood pressure control, lifestyle goal setting, adherence to antihypertensive therapy, patient knowledge and satisfaction, and modification of cardiovascular risk factors.
The 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association hypertension guideline and opportunities for community pharmacists: Explores opportunities for pharmacists to improve blood pressure control through recommended team-based care models and appropriate follow-up and monitoring.
APhA News Stories
Pharmacists and hypertension management: Reflecting one year after the Surgeon General’s call to action (December 2021)
Pharmacists’ contributions to hypertension control go beyond dispensing, Surgeon General says (October 2020)
Pharmacy owner saves hypertension patient in rural South Carolina town (April 2018)