Free blood pressure checks in Qld
Free blood pressure checks will be available in Queensland pharmacies early next year. Premier Anna Bligh said the $2.6 million commitment meant that from February next year up to 300 pharmacies across Queensland would offer free checks as part of the Know Your Numbers program – an initiative of the National Stroke Foundation and Pharmacy Guild.
“Having your blood pressure checked by your local pharmacist is a quick, simple and cost-effective way to alert you to potential health problems,” Ms Bligh said. “It could also save your life, with high blood pressure increasing the chances of heart disease, stroke and vascular disease.”
In the first 12 months of the three-year program approximately 50,000 Queenslanders will have their blood pressure checked by their pharmacist, growing to 120,000 checks by 2011 when it is fully rolled out to up to 600 pharmacies.
“When the stations are operational, anyone visiting the pharmacist will have access to the free blood pressure check. If their pharmacist is concerned about the reading, they will recommend a visit to a General Practitioner.”
The moves comes after the release of the Health of Queenslanders 2008 report which highlighted that high blood pressure accounts for an estimated 6.6% of the total burden of disease and injury in the state. The three year initiative is funded as part of the Queensland Strategy for Chronic Disease 2005-2015.
