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Time factor in antiretroviral adherence: analysis of adherence to single-tablet regimens versus multiple-tablet regimens over a 5-year period

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Abstract

Background

Adherence is considered the key to the success of treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). In the past, people receiving cART needed to take several different pills each day (i.e., multi-tablet regimens; MTRs), with this complicated therapy often leading to mistakes, missed doses and sub-optimal treatment. Over the past two decades, advances in the study of AIDS have led to the simplification of treatment regimens, decreasing the number of tablets and daily administrations. Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), in which two or more drugs are contained in a single dosage form, such as capsule or tablet, were introduced and, in 2006, the first single-tablet regimen (STR), consisting of a combination of three antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, became available.

Objective

Compare STR and MTR regimens (2, 3, and 5 tablets/day), in terms of adherence to ARV therapy, over a 5-year period.

Setting

Retrospective study undertaken at the Hospital Pharmacy of “Santo Spirito” Hospital of Pescara (Italy), as the unique point of distribution of ARV drugs for HIV patients.

Method

By means of PharmaDD.it database, developed by the authors, adherence was calculated as a ratio between received daily dose and prescribed daily dose.

Results

Excellent adherence over time for STRs, with an adherence value of 0.98 after 5 years of treatment.

Conclusion

Treatment with MTRs was associated with good levels of adherence over time, even though adherence rates were not always optimal with regard to HIV therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pescara General Hospital, Via R. Paolini, 47, 65124, Pescara, Italy

    Fiorenzo Santoleri, Ruggero Lasala, Andrea Logreco & Alberto Costantini

  2. Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti ‘G. d’Annunzio’, via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy

    Alessandra Ammazzalorso, Marialuigia Fantacuzzi & Rosa Amoroso

Authors
  1. Fiorenzo Santoleri
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  2. Ruggero Lasala
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  3. Andrea Logreco
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  4. Alessandra Ammazzalorso
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  5. Marialuigia Fantacuzzi
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  6. Rosa Amoroso
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  7. Alberto Costantini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fiorenzo Santoleri.

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Funding

No funding was provided for this work.

Conflict of interest

Fiorenzo Santoleri, Ruggero Lasala, Andrea Logreco, Alessandra Ammazzalorso, Marialuigia Fantacuzzi, Rosa Amoroso and Alberto Costantini declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Santoleri, F., Lasala, R., Logreco, A. et al. Time factor in antiretroviral adherence: analysis of adherence to single-tablet regimens versus multiple-tablet regimens over a 5-year period. Drugs Ther Perspect 34, 263–268 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-018-0491-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-018-0491-5

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