The Particulars: Among patients with HIV who are admitted to the hospital, missed doses and inadvertent changes in highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) can have devastating outcomes. In some cases, resistance or toxicity to HAART can emerge quickly.
Data Breakdown: For a study, an infectious disease clinical pharmacist reviewed the medications of all HIV-infected patients receiving HAART within 12 to 24 hours of being admitted to a hospital. Of 155 HAART regimens evaluated, 75 required one or more modifications. Nearly half of these interventions (47.4%) were related to dosage modification. Relatively few modifications (5.0%) were related to addressing drug interactions.
Take Home Pearl: Nearly one-half of HIV-infected patients on HAART who are admitted to a hospital appear to require modifications to their HAART regimens.
