PMID- 36716456
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20230202
LR  - 20230202
IS  - 0189-160X (Print)
IS  - 0189-160X (Linking)
VI  - 40
IP  - 1
DP  - 2023 Jan 30
TI  - Outcome of Community-Based Antiretroviral Drug Refill among Stable Human 
      Immunodeficiency Virus Patients Accessing Care at a Tertiary Center in Abuja, 
      Nigeria: A 3-Year Review.
PG  - 67-71
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Community-based delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an 
      innovative approach that delivers HIV treatment services closer to the people, 
      removing logistical barriers to clinic access, thereby improving ART uptake and 
      retention in care. The United States Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 
      program in Nigeria involved community-based private sector pharmacies to expand 
      uptake of ART. We aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of this innovation by 
      comparing the CD4 cell count, weight and viral load of stable HIV patients before 
      and after they were devolved to community pharmacies. METHODOLOGY: This study was 
      a facility-based retrospective study that analysed the data of HIV patients 
      accessing care at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) Gwagwalada, 
      Abuja, who were devolved to community pharmacies from June 2018 to May 2021. We 
      compared their mean CD4 cell count, weight and viral load before they were 
      devolved and 1 year after devolvement. RESULTS: A total of 171 patients who met 
      the eligibility criteria were devolved to community pharmacies during the study 
      period. Majority (67.3%) of the patients were females. The age range was 24 years 
      to 72 years with a median age of 42.8 years [inter-quartile range (IQR) 32, 62]. 
      Their mean CD4 cell count (p=0.001) and weight (p=0.006) were higher after 
      devolvement to community pharmacies compared to when they were at the clinic. 
      They all maintained viral suppression after devolvement. CONCLUSION: ART refill 
      through community pharmacies is effective in maintaining viral suppression in 
      stable HIV patients and may lead to increase in CD4 cell count and weight.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2023 by West African Journal of Medicine.
FAU - Kwaghe, V G
AU  - Kwaghe VG
AD  - Department of Internal Medicine, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, 
      Gwagwalada, Abuja.
FAU - Abubakar, I
AU  - Abubakar I
AD  - Department of Community Medicine, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, 
      Gwagwalada, Abuja.
FAU - Kumtong, N
AU  - Kumtong N
AD  - Special Treatment Clinic, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, 
      Abuja.
FAU - Rapnap, L
AU  - Rapnap L
AD  - Special Treatment Clinic, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, 
      Abuja.
FAU - Jamda, M
AU  - Jamda M
AD  - Department of Community Medicine, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, 
      Gwagwalada, Abuja.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Nigeria
TA  - West Afr J Med
JT  - West African journal of medicine
JID - 8301891
RN  - 0 (Anti-HIV Agents)
RN  - 0 (Anti-Retroviral Agents)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Young Adult
MH  - *Anti-HIV Agents/therapeutic use
MH  - Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use
MH  - CD4 Lymphocyte Count
MH  - HIV
MH  - *HIV Infections/drug therapy
MH  - Nigeria
MH  - Retrospective Studies
MH  - Viral Load
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Aged
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Antiretroviral therapy
OT  - CD4 count
OT  - Community pharmacies
OT  - HIV
OT  - Viral suppression
OT  - Weight
COIS- The Authors declare that no competing interest exists
EDAT- 2023/01/31 06:00
MHDA- 2023/02/02 06:00
CRDT- 2023/01/30 17:05
PHST- 2023/01/30 17:05 [entrez]
PHST- 2023/01/31 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2023/02/02 06:00 [medline]
AID - West Afr J Med Jan. 2023; 40(1): 67-71 [pii]
PST - ppublish
SO  - West Afr J Med. 2023 Jan 30;40(1):67-71.