A UI study released in the Nov. 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine found that high blood pressure is better controlled through doctor-pharmacist cooperation rather than doctors and pharmacists working alone.

In the study, half the participants were treated normally, with doctors writing a prescription based on the level of the patent’s blood pressure. The other group was treated by doctor-pharmacist teams in which pharmacists were trained to assess participants’ blood pressure and adjust both the kind and dosage of drugs prescribed.

After six months, blood pressure had dropped in 30 percent of the participants treated traditionally, while 64 percent of those treated by a team experienced lower blood pressure.

Barry Carter, a professor in the UI College of Pharmacy, was the lead author of the report.

— by Sam Lane