Blood Pressure Monitors

As you are probably aware, the measuring of blood pressure is extremely important as a fore-warner and eliminator of heart attacks, strokes and other dire medical problems. What you may not know is that the best place for getting meaningful blood pressure reading is in the home. At the doctor’s office, most people are so nervous that the readings taken are abnormally high. In the trade, this is called “white coat syndrome.” Similarly, in retail stores that offer blood pressure reading machines, or promotions that offer a nurse taking blood pressure, the excitement of “being out” also tends to push up blood pressure. The relaxed atmosphere of the home, the taking of blood pressure at about the same time daily, on a frequent basis, is the best way to get accurate, meaningful blood pressure readings.

Knowing this, it is very important from a humanitarian point of view, that pharmacies push the sales of blood pressure monitors. It also is good business, as these units are high-ticket items, can sell in high quantities and deliver a long profit margin. Frankly, households with seniors and baby boomers… those over 50 years of age, should all own a blood pressure kit, and be encouraged to monitor blood pressure frequently.

Increasing Sales of Blood Pressure Monitors

Several things can be done to increase the sales of blood pressure monitors. First, they should be well exposed in the store - on shelves, floor stands and in easily viewed display cases. Secondly, they should be attractively priced. Recently, marketers of sphygmamometers (blood pressure kits) have been lowering costs dramatically, so that manual units with attached stethoscopes can be retailed from $12.95 to $19.95, with long margins. Basic electronic units can sell at $29.95 or less, and deluxe auto-inflation blood pressure units, with ability to store several readings, can sell for $49.95 to $59.95. Periodic promotions with exciting advertisements will dramatically pull in customers and push up sales.

Line-up of Models Available

While the three lower-end types of blood pressure units mentioned above all take readings from the upper arm, several deluxe units also are available. There are table wrist units and wristwatch type units, retailing from $69.96 to $99.95. These generally have 7-time (or more) memories and the ability to average what is stored in the memory.

Units which take readings from the index finger have been around for more than a decade, retailing around $59.95-$79.95. Printer units, which store readings then print them out with date and time, and often graph or average stored readings, also are available, generally selling for $99.95-$129.95. In addition, all electronic units take and report the pulse rate.

Treatment of Hypertension

Hypertension is usually treated by medication and lifestyle changes. Generally, medications must be taken daily, often for the rest of the patient’s life. They can become quite costly, even if the cost per dose is fairly low. These medications can have significant negative impact on quality of life for patients, who often are elderly and may be on fixed incomes, especially if they must pay all or part of the cost. Lifestyle changes often are a good way to control or help to control hypertension.

Among these lifestyle changes are smoking cessation or reduction, weight loss, exercise and dietary changes including reduced sodium intake and reduced fat intake. Over a period of time, good compliance with these lifestyle changes often can significantly reduce the need for medications and reduce or eliminate both the associated costs and side effects.

Blood Pressure Monitor Market Experiencing Rapid Growth

While marketers of blood pressure monitors do not divulge their sales volume, it is generally believed that about six million home blood pressure units are sold per year in America, with a retail value of around $200,000,000 to $250,000,000.

More importantly, the market is probably growing at 15-20% per year, as our population ages and as the idea of self-monitoring becomes more widely accepted. Virtually all home units are made in the Far East, in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Indonesia. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) carefully checks the quality of units coming into the country, thereby assuring a minimal high quality. Virtually all blood pressure monitors carry a 1-year or 2-year warranty.
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