Consensus document on enhancing medication adherence in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus receiving antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

Adherence to treatment in patients living with HIV remains the focus of attention of health professionals and researchers. However, patient profiles and the available therapeutic arsenal have changed greatly over the last decade. Inadequate adherence not only to antiretroviral therapy but also to other prescribed drugs remains the main cause of therapeutic failure. There are several factors associated with poor adherence and others that facilitate it, hence the importance of identifying, managing and correcting situations that may hinder adherence. Likewise, adherence should be periodically reassessed during the follow-up of ART and other prescribed drugs. It has so far proved impossible to find a single method capable of providing a reliable measurement of adherence. That is why it is necessary to use a combination of multiple easy- to-implement methods. Additionally, a good relationship with the patient facilitates the conveyance of adequate information on adherence. It is currently considered that interventions to improve adherence should be multidisciplinary, individualized and adjusted to the new patterns of infection transmission, and that controlling adherence to other drugs prescribed to patients with HIV should be part of such interventions. This document provides an update on the recommendations published in 2008 based on a review of the scientific literature. The main goal is to help healthcare professionals dedicated to the clinical and therapeutic management of HIV patients (doctors, pharmacists, nurses, psychologists and social workers) improve adherence of such patients to all the drugs prescribed to them as treatment for their HIV infection.

Keywords

• medication adherence
• hiv
• highly active antiretroviral therapy
• pharmacotherapy
• interdisciplinary health team