CDC seeks to expand University of Michigan’s pharmacist hypertension program across U.S.

According to CDC's recent assessment of the University of Michigan’s Hypertension Pharmacists’ Program (HPP), 66% of patients who consulted with an HPP pharmacist brought their disease under control within 3 months compared with 42% of patients who did not meet with a pharmacist. At 6 months, 69% had their BP under control compared with 56% of nonparticipants.

Federal officials see great potential in the 25-year-old pharmacist-led hypertension model, and CDC is replicating HPP for deployment to other parts of the country. It is starting with the southeastern United States, which is populated largely by Black Americans who are disproportionately affected by hypertension and uncontrolled BP. The initiative could help CDC move closer to its goal of narrowing the health disparity gap by 5% among Black adults.

Hae Mi Choe, PharmD, clinical professor at University of Michigan’s College of Pharmacy who developed the program, said that pharmacists offer accessibility and convenience to Americans who often struggle to maintain regular primary health care appointments. In the HPP model, specially trained pharmacists provide individualized patient care and education in cooperation with patients’ physicians.

“Pharmacists are an essential part of the care team, and HPP has shown they can be part of the answer to improving access to care and outcomes, too,” said Choe in a press statement.