ABSTRACT*
Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess
the influence of pharmaceutical care on patients’
knowledge, quality of life and blood pressure and to
determine whether new type of pharmaceutical
services changes the pharmacists’ satisfaction and
knowledge.
Methods: Community pharmacies were randomly
assigned to study and control group and
pharmacists from both groups included patients with
hypertension, who meet inclusion and exclusion
criteria. Study group provided the pharmaceutical
care (education, pharmacotherapy monitoring,
detecting and solving drug related problems) for
their patients, while the control group provided the
standard pharmaceutical services (dispensing
medicines with or without counseling). At the
beginning and the end of the study pharmacists and
patients filled in the knowledge test. Pharmacists
fulfilled also satisfaction questionnaire.
Results: Survey data were collected from 28 and
56 patients from community pharmacies in study
and control group respectively. At the last meeting
the normal blood pressure achieved 79% and 55%
patients in study and control group, respectively
(p>0,05). The pharmaceutical care improved
patients’ knowledge about disease. Pharmacists
from study group, who provided pharmaceutical
care, had higher level of pharmacotherapy
knowledge and professional satisfaction than the
control group.
Conclusion: Implementation of pharmaceutical
care into the pharmacy practice benefits both,
patients and pharmacists.