How compliant are patients on HAART?
ICAAC Highlights
How compliant are patients on HAART?
Two studies evaluated rates of compliance with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in patients with HIV. At the Imperial College in London, J.C. Walsh, MD, and colleagues administered confidential patient-completed questionnaires, conducted semistructured interviews with patients who had been on HAART for more than one month, interviewed the patients’ physicians, and examined pharmacy records.
Of 179 patients, 81% were taking triple therapy and 19% were on quadruple therapy. More than half (51%) of patients were taking medications twice daily, and 49% were taking them three times daily. The mean daily number of pills patients took was 18.4, with a range of nine to 41. The mean self-reported adherence to therapy was 95%, but 21% of patients took 80% of their medications or less.
Most patients (52%) reported full adherence in the preceding month; 32% said they had never missed a dose of HAART; and 83% reported they took most of their medications on time. The strongest association with nonadherence was frequent use of stimulant recreational drugs.
"Such levels of nonadherence are a major challenge in maintaining a good response to HAART," the researchers conclude.
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