What if the fight against high blood pressure was the pharmacy’s next fight? Experiments are increasing in the region, highlighting the role of the pharmacist in identification and screening. The next experiment will involve pharmacists from Hauts-de-France and Grand Est as part of the European Jacardi project.
From September 2026, for one month, two French regions will participate in a pilot phase as part of the European Jacardi project launched in November 2023, “to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and associated risk factors, both at the individual and societal level”. Objective stated by Public Health France, leader of the system in France: “Screening hypertension in pharmacies and raising awareness among the general public via a communication campaign »explains Grégory Tempremant, president of URPS Hauts-de-France, whose region was selected as well as the Grand Est.
The pharmacy component of the Jacardi project consists of offering hypertension screening to anyone who comes to the pharmacy. After three blood pressure measurements, according to a flowchart, they will be referred by the pharmacist to their doctor or the emergency room if their blood pressure is above 160 mmHg. If it is between 140 and 160 mmHg, the pharmacist will provide them with a blood pressure monitor for three days so that they can take their measurements. When they return to the pharmacy, the measurements will be studied by the pharmacist who will decide, if necessary, to refer them to their GP. “This project pursues three objectives, describes Grégory Tempremant. First of all, it is about raising awareness among the population about hypertension and its risks. It also targets a certain level of health literacy and finally, it intensifies the identification and monitoring of patients at risk. » Around fifty pharmacists from the two territories selected in Hauts-de-France, Calaisis and Château-Thierry, were offered a webinar in mid-February to present the approach. “These two territories were selected for their typology. Calaisis, which has a CPTS, has precarious populations in its sector, including migrants. As for Château-Thierry, the territory has a local health contract. » Depending on the analysis of the data provided, the added value of the pharmacy in identifying and monitoring people suffering from hypertension can support the legislative and conventional desires to include the pharmacist as a full player in the management of hypertension. Indeed, on December 23, Yannick Neuder, former Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Isère, tabled a bill aimed at accelerating cardiovascular and neurovascular prevention and anticipating a major health and social risk. An issue which has received a favorable response from pharmacists’ unions, ready to see this new form of care enter into common law. Subject, of course, to the completion of several stages, including the opinion of the High Authority for Health (HAS), the ministerial decree, or even a conventional amendment.
date:2026-02-12 14:01:00
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