IMPACT OF PHARMACIST INTERVENTIONS ON MEDICATION ADHERENCE IN POORLY CONTROLLED HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Hypertension remains the single largest contributor to premature cardiovascular death globally. Despite the availability of effective antihypertensive agents, fewer than one in four patients achieve blood pressure (BP) control. Suboptimal medication adherence is a central driver of this treatment gap. This narrative review synthesises current evidence on the role of pharmacist-led interventions in improving medication adherence and BP control among poorly controlled hypertensive patients. Peer-reviewed systematic reviews, meta-analyses and randomised controlled trials published between 2010 and 2025 were examined. Evidence was organised around the types of pharmacist interventions, assessment tools used, and clinical outcomes reported. Pooled evidence from meta-analyses involving more than 30,000 patients demonstrates that pharmacist-led interventions produce mean systolic BP reductions of approximately 5–8 mmHg and diastolic reductions of 3–4 mmHg versus usual care. Multi-component strategies combining medication counselling, behavioural support, home BP monitoring, and collaborative prescribing consistently outperform single-component approaches. The pharmacist represents one of the most cost-effective human resources for closing the hypertension control gap. Integrating pharmacists into team-based hypertension care should be a policy priority, particularly in primary care and low-resource settings.

Keywords: Hypertension; medication adherence; pharmacist intervention; blood pressure control; pharmaceutical care; cardiovascular prevention.