Rochester, NY (PRWEB) October 18, 2012
PharmaSmart today announced that it has joined the Team Up. Pressure Down. program to help hypertensive patients more effectively manage and control their high blood pressure and ultimately prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Recent research shows that pharmacist-directed care can improve the management of major cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension and has a positive impact on patient health outcomes.
Team Up. Pressure Down. is a new pharmacy-focused program that is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Million Hearts initiative co-led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The program offers time-saving resources from video vignettes to conversation starters that encourage and support pharmacists in providing counseling services to their hypertensive patients, with the goal of improving medication adherence. A suite of patient education materials will also be available through the program to help people with high blood pressure take a more active role in self-management efforts and to encourage increased interaction with their pharmacists.
PharmaSmart President & CEO Fred Sarkis stated, Controlling blood pressure is the single most important thing we can do to reduce death and disability in the USA. PharmaSmart is thrilled to join the Team Up. Pressure Down. program to help leverage the power of community pharmacy in the improved detection and control of high blood pressure.
Sarkis continued, Our clinically advanced, interoperable blood pressure platform brings – for the first time – live, validated biometrics into the pharmacy electronic patient record. This creates intervention and case management opportunities at the pharmacy that never existed before. Together with Team Up. Pressure Down., we offer pharmacies an accredited suite of education and support materials, along with validated clinical tools to aid in hypertension screening, intervention, and therapeutic monitoring. Its a very strong partnership for us.
Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases kill more than 800,000 adults in the United States each year. Nearly 1 in 3 adults have hypertension and 36 million Americans do not have it under control. Taking hypertension medicines as prescribed can greatly reduce a patients risk for heart attack and stroke, yet 30% stop taking their medicines within 6 months and 50% stop within 1 year.
PharmaSmarts national effort to support Team Up. Pressure Down. is overseen by Ashton S. Maaraba, PharmaSmart Chief Operating Officer. PharmaSmart has an existing, national campaign promoting validated, pharmacy based hypertension management as a key element of emerging team-care models.