My name is Preston Ochieng Otieno and I am an Assistant Director of Pharmaceutical Services and the Pharmacist In-Charge of the Kitale County Hospital Comprehensive Care Centre. I am a skilled pharmaceutical systems expert and a registered Pharmacist with a broad range of experience in the health sector and strong background in Pharmacovigilance, Quality Assurance, Pharmacoeconomics, Health Systems Strengthening, Health Policy Analysis, Health Technologies Assessment (HTA) and Procurement/supply chain management.
I have successfully led projects in Pharmacovigilance/Patient Safety Management, Antimicrobial Resistance Stewardship, Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Systems Strengthening, immunization and disease management/control.
I currently serve as the Managing Director Virgil Science Ltd ( https://virgilscience.co.ke/ ) a contract research organization focusing on Pharmacovigilance, Medicines Regulatory compliance and Clinical Research.
Recently, I was part of the part of the Management Sciences for Health-Kenya(MSH-Kenya) team that developed the Pharmacovigilance curriculum for Healthcare workers in the EAC/IGAD regions. I hold a Master of Pharmacy (Pharmacoepidemiology & Pharmacovigilance) and Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Nairobi. I also have an MBA in Finance and a Certificate in Health Systems Strengthening from the University of Melbourne.
Project Summary
OUTCOMES OF THE HEALTHY HEART AFRICA PROGRAM ON THE MANANGEMENT OF HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA
ABSTRACT
Background: Hypertension is an independent risk factor for developing cardiovascular and renal diseases worldwide. Hypertensive patients in Sub-Saharan Africa have low hypertension awareness, treatment levels and control. In response to these problems, AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish Pharmaceutical Company, introduced the Healthy Heart Africa program which it implements in partnership with AMREF Health Africa in Nairobi.
Study objective: To compare the management and treatment outcomes of hypertensive patients enrolled into the Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) program and their unenrolled counterparts.
Method: This study was conducted in two phases a six (6) months’ period. A comparative retrospective cohort study where confirmed hypertensive patients were conveniently sampled from 2 HHA and 2 non-HHA Health Centers in Nairobi preceded a second qualitative phase. The latter involved patient interviews to assess their level of adherence to anti- hypertensive medicines. To elicit hypertension management practices prescriber interviews were conducted. A descriptive thematic approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. Key and meaningful themes/patterns from these interviews were identified and interpreted by triangulation of all the provided information. Statistical data analysis was performed using Stata® 10 (Stata Corp, USA).
Results: Of the 265 patients screened over a 6 months’ period, 250 (91%) met the inclusion criteria and 205 were recruited; 58.5% were female; mean age was 54 years; mean duration of hypertension management was <2 years. Seventy-eight (72%) patients enrolled in HHA had adequate BP control compared to forty-two (43%) in the non-HHA sites after 6 months of treatment. Seventy (34.1%) of the patients were fully adherent to medication. Patients in the HHA (OR 2.6 95% CI 1.5, 4.6; p <0.001) had their BP better controlled compared to their unenrolled counterparts. Adherence to medication (OR 0.87 95% CI 0.8, 0.9; p<0.001) significantly contributed to BP control.
Conclusion: The Healthy Heart Africa program strategies improved access to medicines and patients’ adherence. Hence, patients enrolled their BP better controlled compared to their unenrolled counterparts.
