NIGERIANS can now get the diagnoses of their "Blood pressure (Bp) status at an pharmacy in their neighbourhood This is being made possible by Omron Healthcare EMEA, which has launched a Pilot Project for Omron Medical Connect, a service that enables patients to receive re mote consultation and prescriptions for hypertension from cardiologists at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital's (LUTH's) community pharmacy.
Omron Medical Connect aims to provide patients with hypertension care in pharmacies close to their homes, thereby reducing costs, trayel time and waiting time for appomtments.
Omron Healthcare EMEA will recruit 500 patients for the Pilot to demonstrate the effectiveness of this healthcare delivery model. The PIlot, which took off this month, will end in October in Lagos and its neighbouring areas.
Group Manager for Omron Healthcare EME"A, Paul Stevens, explains: "Managing chronic illnesses, such as hypertension effectively will be a critical challenge for Nige.ria's healthcare system in the commg decades. By reducing the burden of chronic disease man agement on hospitals, while providing a platform for patients to receive high quality care at low cost, we believe that Omron Medical Connect can transform the way that people receive healthcare, and eventually increase affordability and accessibility for millions of patients.
Stevens said Omron Healthcare EMEA has a reputation for producing highly accurate blood pressure devices.
Omron's mission is to go beyond tracking numbers to provide services that enable patients to take control of their health and live longer, healthier lives. Omron is working towards a world with zero occurrences of heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular related events. We call this 'Towards Zero Events'.
Partnering with health care providers enables Omron to support patients in gaining more inslight into their hea1th, receive advice and guidance and Utimately increase the number of years of healthy life lived for people around the globe," he said.
According to the Senior Registrar, Cardiology Unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Dr Olalekan Makinde, High blood pressure is the number one risk fac tor for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and associated deaths in Sub Saharan Africa.
"Blood pressure lowering significantly reduces CVD risk but often reqUIres lifelong treatment. However, antihypertensive treatment coverage in 'Sub-Saharan Africa is very low, mainly due to low awareness of hypertension and poor access to quality care. Even in settings were hypertension care is available, accessibility for patients is often poor because of high costs of care (fees for healthcare), high travel cases or long waiting times at the clinics, leading to loss of income and low patient satisfaction," stated.
Pharmacies as the patient's main Point of care where blood pressure WIll be measured, the patient will be counseled on lifestyle measures and drug use, and drugs will be dispensed.
"Blood pressure will be monitored by a doctor via digital data transfer through a 'health cloud,' doctors are then able to electronically renew prescriptions based on the blood pressure measurements performed at the pharmacy. Doctors from. Lagos University Teaching HOSPItal (LUTH) will provide the remote monitoring service and this hospital will serve as the re ferral site for patients with an indication for usual physician-based care.
"Pharmacy based care can have a significant positive impact on communities and families. Good blood pressure control leads to longer, healthier lives. Improved accessibility to care will cut travel cost and time away from 'home, giving patients more time to spend with family, and more time to work and con tribute positively to society," she stated.
Omron Healthcare EMEA will sponsor 10 community blood pressure screening events, targeting 5000 people, in collaboration LUTH to raise awareness for hypertension and identify patients suitable for pharmacy-based care via Omron Medical Connect.
To confirm the benefits of Omron Medical Connect, an independent clinical observation will measure the outcomes of the pilot, measuring patient retention in the pilot, the Impact on medication adherence and patient blood pressure, plus the cost of care to the patients and healthcare providers.
By: Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha
The Nation News
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