PCP tests remote blood pressure monitoring
A remote monitoring system that can be used by pharmacists
to oversee patients’ blood pressure is being tested by Primary Care Pharmacy
(PCP) in Tamworth, Staffordshire.
Patients take their own blood pressure readings
twice daily using an automatic device and then upload the results to the
pharmacy over the telephone system at intervals. Computer software at
the pharmacy then displays the readings along with the treatment the patient
is taking and makes it possible to determine how effective the treatment
is and decide what changes might need to be made to treatment. Reports
can easily be prepared for prescribers. The system, unique in Britain,
comes from Australia, where it is already widely used, according to Andrew
Burr, PCP chief executive.
Mohammed Ibrahim, pharmacist at PCP, said: “As many
as half of all patients on antihypertensive medication are unlikely to
comply with the regimen prescribed by their doctor. In some cases, we
have found patients who, despite being prescribed a number of medicines
for their blood pressure, have only taken one. The system has been able
to assess their concordance and, more importantly, demonstrate to the
patient the importance of taking all prescribed medicines. Since every
reading taken is date- and time-stamped and patients are told to take
two readings immediately before they take their blood pressure tablets,
you gain a remarkable insight into the patient’s concordance with health
instructions.”
About 20 people have been monitored since the system
was launched and monitoring can continue when people go on holiday — some
results have been transmitted from Spain.
Mr Burr says that the system makes it possible to
determine the precise effect on blood pressure of changes to medication
so as to identify the best treatment for individual patients.
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