Care coordination
A patient came to the pharmacy for a urinary tract infection assessment. She mentioned she didn’t have a family doctor and hadn’t had bloodwork done in eight years. I offered to do a heart health assessment while she was there, and she agreed. During the check, her blood pressure was extremely high at 220/120 mmHg. She said she usually felt dizzy but thought it was due to work stress and fatigue, without any other symptoms.
Since I couldn’t evaluate for any organ damage in the pharmacy, I advised her to go to the emergency room immediately. I provided a written note explaining the situation and her blood pressure readings. Some time later, she returned and told me she had been prescribed two blood pressure medications. She said she has been taking them regularly since and that her blood pressure is now well-controlled. She also mentioned making positive lifestyle changes.
Because of a pharmacist, something important happened.
