ABSTRACT

The second Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey completed in 2007−2008 provided evidence that the prevalence of hypertension has increased significantly since 2000−2001.  With more of the population living with hypertension, greater will be the need to ensure the best quality of life.  A recent survey conducted in the ambulatory section of the Emergency Medicine Division at the University Hospital of the West Indies, identified a 36.5% non-compliance rate among the 52 patients prescribed with antihypertensive drugs.  The reasons given for non-compliance with their antihypertensive medications are not new and included adverse effects, inconvenience and fear of dependence.  However, in the same survey, it was also found that blood pressure was poorly controlled in 69.7% of the self-reported compliant subjects. Together, these points suggest that simply providing access to drugs is inadequate and a more holistic approach will be required to reduce blood pressure at the population level.