Professionals' and Patients' Perspectives on Criteria for Referring Hypertensive Patients to Comprehensive Medication Management Services in Public Primary Health Care

Maria do Carmo Vilas Boas Sousa; Elizabeth do Nascimento; Simone de Araújo Medina Mendonça; Clarice Chemello

doi:10.3390/ijerph20075233

Professionals' and Patients' Perspectives on Criteria for Referring Hypertensive Patients to Comprehensive Medication Management Services in Public Primary Health Care

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 23;20(7):5233. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20075233.

Authors

Maria do Carmo Vilas Boas Sousa¹, Elizabeth do Nascimento², Simone de Araújo Medina Mendonça¹, Clarice Chemello¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil.
² Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy and Human Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil.

Abstract

Patient prioritization in comprehensive medication management services allows coordinating care and guiding patients according to their clinical profile and their medication use. The aim of the study is to identify and describe factors that indicate the need for comprehensive medication management services among primary care hypertension patients within a public health system from the perspective of patients, pharmacists, nurses and physicians. A qualitative study was carried out with interviews with nurses, pharmacists and physicians (n = 20), and two focus groups with hypertensive patients (n = 12) at primary health care facilities and a public outdoor fitness area between January and February 2019 in Brazil. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the Atlas.ti^® software. The data analysis revealed the following factors indicative of the need to refer hypertension patients to a pharmacist: lifestyle habits, comorbidities, health care utilization and medication use. The issues identified and the information obtained from the qualitative research and compared with literature studies reviewed allowed defining dimensions that should be considered as an aid in the selection of uncontrolled hypertensive patients for comprehensive medication management services.

Keywords: comprehensive medication management services; patient selection; primary health care; qualitative research.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Delivery of Health Care
Focus Groups
Humans
Hypertension* / drug therapy
Medication Therapy Management*
Pharmacists
Primary Health Care

Grants and funding

The first author has a scholarship granted by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES Foundation). Part of the project was financed by Call No. 14_2013 PRPQ/UFMG. This study was partially funded by the abovementioned institution. The funding agency had no direct role neither in the study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the drafting of the paper, nor in the decision to submit it for publication.