Community pharmacist practices in hypertension management

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, observational study of pharmacists' practices using unannounced standardized patients (SPs) posing as patients with hypertension. The sample included 101 community pharmacies in Edmonton. Two unannounced SPs visited pharmacists' practices between January 15 and February 28,2004, portraying a 50-year-old, male patient who was curious and concerned about his blood pressure (BP) reading (150/100 mm Hg), which he got from his friend's home BP monitor. Consent was not obtained from the pharmacists. Results: Of the 101 community pharmacists who were visited by the SPs, 69% offered, without having to be asked, a general BP target value to the SPs. Of these pharmacists, most offered a target BP value of < 120/80 mm Hg, with 7% stating the correct 2004 Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP) target BP value for this scenario (