Table 1 Study interview topic guide

1. Can you tell me about the patient profile at your polyclinic?

 a. Age group, ethnicity, education level, disease severity, health-seeking behaviour

2. How do patients with hypertension first present in your clinic?

3. Do you use any clinical practice guideline to guide your hypertension management?

 a. If yes, which guideline and why

 b. What do you think about the guideline? Useful or not? Why?

4. What is your approach to treating hypertension?

 a. Probe: Nonpharmacological – diet, exercise (be specific)

 b. Probe: Medications – which category, order of starting, mono- or dual therapy, how and when to step up

5. What are the challenges you face when managing patients with hypertension?

 a. Probe: Patient factor: Nonadherence to treatment/lifestyle modifications, communication barriers etc.

 b. Probe: Pharmacist factor: Knowledge and skills, keeping updated with latest evidence, Communication with other healthcare professionals etc.

 c. Disease factor: Diagnosis of different categories of hypertension (e.g. white-coat, masked, nocturnal, non-dipper, morning surge), etc.

 d. System factor: Use of electronic medical records for patients with hypertension, PTEC, interprofessional care delivery, etc.

6. Can you suggest ways to improve the current management of hypertension?

 a. Probe: Change in current hypertension care delivery? Training? Technology?

 b. Probe: Do you need any support to provide better care for your patients

7. Do you have anything else to share with me?