"Cost Containment" in the Management of Hypertension

Excerpt

The Direct Cost involved in the treatment of hypertension in the United States has been estimated at approximately $8 billion a year, with more than $1.5 billion being spent on antihypertensive drugs (1). Recent surveys have reported that a significant number of patients with hypertension (20% to 35%) find the cost of drugs to be an obstacle to treatment (2-4). This number has increased during the past 3 to 4 years because newer, more expensive, and heavily promoted drugs have become available. The cost may also have increased further as pressure mounted to use newer forms of technology in the