Peletidi Aliki, Doundoulakis Ioannis, Vavoulioti Eleni, Petrou Christos, Petrides Michael
Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Bioactive Molecules Research Center, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus.
J Pharm Policy Pract. 2025 Sep 5;18(1):2544635. doi: 10.1080/20523211.2025.2544635. eCollection 2025.
Hypertension is a major global risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. In Greece, prevalence is about 40%, with many cases undiagnosed or poorly managed. While doctors remain central to diagnosis and treatment, community pharmacists, as accessible healthcare professionals, can support early detection and ongoing management. This study assesses Greek community pharmacists' knowledge of hypertension detection and management, focusing on their ability to measure blood pressure accurately, categorise hypertension, and understand lifestyle factors.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 92 community pharmacists in Greece, using a structured questionnaire to assess knowledge of blood pressure measurement, hypertension categorisation, and lifestyle influences. The instrument collected demographic data and responses on hypertension management practices. Data were gathered between December 2022 and April 2023 and analysed using SPSS v22.
The survey revealed moderate to good knowledge levels among pharmacists, particularly in blood pressure measurement (mean score: 71.74%, SD = 16.08) and hypertension categorisation (mean score: 76.9%, SD = 8.48). Knowledge about lifestyle impacts on blood pressure was lower (mean score: 53.57%, SD = 15.65). Younger pharmacists (26 36 years old) demonstrated significantly higher lifestyle impact knowledge (p = 0.013) and overall knowledge scores (p = 0.012) compared to the rest of the age groups, whereas pharmacists with postgraduate degrees had significantly higher scores in blood pressure measurement (p = 0.009) and overall knowledge scores (p = 0.002) compared to those with only a tertiary education.
Findings underscore early undergraduate training and continuous professional development to strengthen pharmacists' hypertension-management role. Targeted programmes should deepen understanding of lifestyle determinants. Greek community pharmacists are well positioned for early detection within multidisciplinary care, yet more education is needed to optimise impact. The Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association and Federation of Cooperative Pharmacists of Greece advocate recognising pharmacists' role in structured, advanced services, including hypertension management, to improve public health in Greece.
高血压是全球心血管疾病和死亡的主要风险因素。在希腊，高血压患病率约为40%，许多病例未被诊断或管理不善。虽然医生在诊断和治疗中仍起着核心作用，但社区药剂师作为易于接触的医疗保健专业人员，可以支持早期检测和持续管理。本研究评估了希腊社区药剂师对高血压检测和管理的知识，重点关注他们准确测量血压、对高血压进行分类以及了解生活方式因素的能力。
对希腊92名社区药剂师进行了横断面调查，使用结构化问卷评估他们对血压测量、高血压分类和生活方式影响的知识。该工具收集了人口统计学数据以及关于高血压管理实践的回答。数据于2022年12月至2023年4月收集，并使用SPSS v22进行分析。
调查显示药剂师的知识水平中等至良好，尤其是在血压测量方面（平均得分：71.74%，标准差 = 16.08）和高血压分类方面（平均得分：76.9%，标准差 = 8.48）。关于生活方式对血压影响的知识较低（平均得分：53.57%，标准差 = 15.65）。与其他年龄组相比，年轻药剂师（26至36岁）在生活方式影响知识（p = 0.013）和总体知识得分（p = 0.012）方面表现明显更高，而拥有研究生学位的药剂师在血压测量（p = 0.009）和总体知识得分（p = 0.002）方面比只有高等教育学历的药剂师得分显著更高。
研究结果强调了早期本科培训和持续专业发展，以加强药剂师在高血压管理中的作用。有针对性的项目应加深对生活方式决定因素的理解。希腊社区药剂师在多学科护理中处于早期检测的有利位置，但需要更多教育以优化影响。全希腊制药协会和希腊合作药剂师联合会主张认可药剂师在包括高血压管理在内的结构化高级服务中的作用，以改善希腊的公众健康。
