Knowledge of Hypertensive
Patients With or Without HIV on Hypertension and Their
Experience in Using Their Medicines in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania: The Role of the Pharmacist
Godeliver
AB Kagashe1* and Sameera A Fazal2
1Muhimbili
University of Health and Allied Sciences, School of
Pharmacy, PO Box 65577, Dar es Salaam, 2Ebrahim
Haji Charitable Health Centre, Dar es Salaam,Tanzania
For correspondence:
E-mail:
gkagashe@muhas.ac.tz,
gkagashe@yahoo.co.uk Tel: +255 713
310511
Received: 21 April
2011 Revised
accepted: 23 November, 2011
Tropical
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, December 2011;
10(6): 825-831
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v10i6.17
Abstract
Purpose:
The study assessed
the knowledge of both HIV and non-HIV hypertensive
patients on hypertension and the role of pharmacists in
their pharmaceutical care.
Methods:
The study was conducted at the hypertension and HIV
clinics in government hospitals in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania. Patients were interviewed using a structured
questionnaire and pharmacists were assessed using a
self-administered questionnaire and by observation.
Results:
Few patients in
both groups knew the names of antihypertensive medicines
they were taking. Information on the use of
antihypertensive and antiretroviral (ARV) medicines was
mostly provided by doctors. Adverse drug reactions were
significantly more when patient used both ARVs and
antihypertensive medicines than when they used only
antihypentsives. Only 20 % of hypertensive-HIV patients
informed the pharmacist dispensing antihypertensive
medicines that they were using ARVs, and only 19 % of
the pharmacists knew the drug interactions between ARVs
and antihypertensive medicines. During dispensing, about
2 % of the patients were asked about other medicines
being used.
Conclusion:
There is a need
to improve patients’ knowledge of hypertension. The
pharmacists should also have up-to-date knowledge of
hypertension-HIV co-morbidity. Proper coordination
between HIV and hypertension clinics and the full
integration of a pharmacist in the health care team can
help to improve patient care.
Keywords:
Hypertension, HIV/AIDS,
Antiretroviral medicines, Antihypertensive medicines,
Adverse drug reaction, Dispensing, Knowledge.
