The impact of outpatient hospital pharmacists on patients receiving antihypertensive and anticoagulant therapy.

The effect of an outpatient clinical pharmacy program on selected therapeutic outcomes of 39 antihypertensive- and 16 warfarin-treated study patients in a hospital-based group medical practice was evaluated by retrospective medical record audit and compared to two control groups. Results revealed that a significantly greater number of drug discontinuations (p less than 0.05) and changes (p less than 0.005) were documented in the medical records of study patients. Hypertensive study patients who received the services of pharmacists had poorer blood pressure control at the beginning of the study (p less than 0.05) but were as equally well controlled as control patients by the conclusion of the study. Compared with control patients, warfarin-treated study patients were better controlled at the end of the study (p less than 0.05). The participation of pharmacists in the care of hypertensive and anticoagulated patients appears to result in acceptable therapeutic outcomes.