AEGiS-15IAC: Compliance to QD dosing versus BID/TID dosing of antiretroviral agents in rural North Carolina HIV/AIDS population.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Compliance to QD dosing versus BID/TID dosing of antiretroviral agents in rural North Carolina HIV/AIDS population.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. B12395)

Torres R, Reebye U
SRAHEC, Newton Grove, United States

BACKGROUND: The use of HAART regimens has reduced of mortality, opportunistic infections and hospital admissions in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. However, due to the cumbersome dosing schedule, many patients are not compliant with their therapy. HIV+ patients in rural North Carolina, due to their isolation and work duties, face more adherence difficulties to their medication schedule. The purpose of this study is to compare QD dosing versus BID/TID dosing compliance in a rural North Carolina population.

METHODS: A cohort of HIV-positive on HAART therapy were enrolled. A total of 40 patients were included. Twenty patients were on QD regimen (group 1) which included; efavirenz, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, and lamivudine and didanosine. Twenty patients were on BID/TID regimen (group 2) which included a nucleoside/tide back bone and a NNRTI or PI. All patients were seen at 14, 30, 60 days after enrollment. At each follow-up visit they were given a questionnaire, medications were counted, viral load and CD4 levels were measured.

RESULTS: Patients group 1 had compliance rates of 95.5%, 88.9% and 91.6% at 14, 30 and 60 days respectively. Patients in group 2 had lower levels of compliance 83.6%, 71.9% and 67.1% at 14, 30 and 60 days. The common reasons for noncompliance in group 1 were: patient recall (40%), work related/social issues (15%) and GI intolerance (10%). Group 2 patients adherence problems were associated with: high pill burden (60%), GI intolerance (15%) and work related/social issues (10%). There was no statistically significance in the efficacy of reduction of viral load in either group.

CONCLUSION: HIV/AIDS patients in rural North Carolina were more compliant on QD dosing of antiretroviral agents. QD dosing should be considered for patients living and working in isolated areas, since non adherence is associated with drug resistance.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Anti-Retroviral Agents, HIV, HIV Seropositivity, Patient Compliance, HIV Infections, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, Didanosine, HIV-1, Anti-HIV Agents, Lamivudine, HIV Protease Inhibitors, Carrier Proteins, Stilbenes, Population, North Carolina, 4-trimethylammonium-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic, acid, BID protein, Humans

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B12395