Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of premature death in the UK. It is thought that at least one in four adults have high blood pressure, but many are unaware of this until their blood pressure is checked by a healthcare professional.

Identifying and managing hypertension remains an NHS priority for CVD prevention. While there has been some increase in case-finding, it is estimated that in England alone, around 4.2 million people who have the condition have yet to be identified. Those living in the most deprived areas of the country are 30 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure than those living in the least deprived areas.

The expanding role of community pharmacy teams in hypertension case-finding, the opportunities to support management through services such as the New Medicine Service (NMS), and future developments such as the expansion of pharmacist independent prescribing will give further opportunities for community pharmacy teams to make a difference to patient health.