Interdisciplinary Care Team with Pharmacist in a Community-based HIV Clinic

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection poses a significant health burden, particularly in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
• Limited literature exists on the specific contributions of pharmacists in outpatient settings for HIV patient-centered pharmaceutical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an interdisciplinary HIV care model incorporating a clinical pharmacist at a community-based transcultural clinic in Washington, DC.
• To elucidate the pharmacist's role by examining the association between non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and subsequent ART regimen changes.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review was conducted using electronic health records from May 2011 to July 2013.
• Fifty-three patients referred to the clinical pharmacist were identified for analysis.

Main Results:

• The average age of patients with HIV was 46.57 years.
• Approximately 28% of patients exhibited documented non-adherence to ART, and 30% experienced at least one ART regimen change during the study.
• Medication non-adherence was a significant predictor of ART regimen change (adjusted OR = 8.44; 95% CI, 1.91-37.29).

Conclusions:

• A significant association was found between pharmacist evaluations of non-adherence to ART and ART regimen modifications.
• The study highlights the pharmacist's integral role within an interdisciplinary HIV care team.
• Further research is recommended to evaluate the impact of pharmacist services on clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes in community-based settings.