National High Blood Pressure Month

Irl National High Blood Pressure Month May is National High Blood Pressure Month, and the observance has been endorsed by the American Pharmaceutical Association and its subdivisions-the Academy of General Practice of Pharmacy, the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Student American Pharmaceutical Association. The national effort to increase public and professional awareness of the dangers and prevalence of hypertension is sponsored by the American Heart Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, Citizens for the Treatment of High Blood Pressure, Inc., the National Medical Association and the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Local efforts during National High Blood Pressure Month last year resulted in a multitude of accomplishments-an estimated 500,000 persons screened, a wealth of publicity by the news media, the expanded awareness of millions of Americans to the dangers and prevalence of hypertension and the development and/or expansion of hundreds of local coordinating councils, task forces and programs which continued throughout the year and which are still going on. As a part of its contribution to the national observance, APhA devoted the April 1974 issue of this Journal to the theme, "High Blood Pressure: Challenge to Pharmacists," and was a cosponsor of the National Pharmacy Symposium on High Blood Pressure held May 1974 (see summary of recommendations on the following pages). The successes achieved during the 1974 observance of National High Blood Pressure Month have laid the groundwork for a more intense focus on broad-based community efforts. In working with many local groups, including pharmaceutical associations, over the past year, the National High Blood Pressure Education Program through its Community Consultation Service has become more aware of the need for a well-structured, comprehensive education and control program in each community as the key factor in solving this national health crisis. Therefore, the primary objective of National High Blood Pressure Month 1975 is the formation in every community of a High Blood Pressure Coordinating Council to plan and implement an education and control program (if one is not in existence). Once this nucleus has been firmly established, the planning for future activities in educating the public and setting up screening, detection and follow-up procedures can be effectively accomplished. Pharmacy associations at the local level are urged to participate in the High Blood Pressure Coordinating Councils, and community pharmacy leaders may do so by contacting the local affiliates of the national organizations sponsoring National High Blood Pressure Month. To help implement participation by local pharmaceutical associations, APhA has arranged for extensive informational materials to be sent to all state pharmaceutical associations, to all SAPhA Chapters, and to all local pharmaceutical associations which request them. The materials include information on the pharmr.cist's involvement in hypertension activities, facts about hypertension, information on the National High Blood Pressure Month and the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and a form for ordering additional materials. State pharmaceutical associations are cooperating with APhA in making the materials available to local pharmacy associations, but leaders of associations which have not yet obtained the information may do so by writing: Ronald L. Williams, American Pharmaceutical Association, 2215 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20037. Obviously, the establishment of a High Blood Pressure Coordinating Council cannot be achieved overnight, and it may very well be an impossibility for many communities to begin implementation by May. However, the planning stage hopefully can be underway by that time. Community pharmacy leaders should contact local affiliates of the sponsors of National High Blood Pressure Month immediately to ensure that pharmacy is a part of the planning process. And if no organization has yet taken the initiative to begin planning a coordinated, community-wide, hypertension program, it would be an exceptional opportunity for pharmacists to assume a leadership role in designing a program to alleviate one of the nation's most serious public health problems.

--George B. Griffenhagen Vol. NS 15, No.4, April 1975

175