The Increasing Role of the Pharmacist in the HIV Care Continuum - Part 2: New Models for HIV Care in the Pharmacy Setting

With more than 1 million people living with HIV infection in the United States, long-term management across the continuum of care is critical.1 Best-practice recommendations for patients infected with HIV are rapidly evolving, including strategies related to testing, linkage to care, and antiretroviral therapy (ART).2,3 Importantly, survival rates among HIV-infected adults who are retained in care with currently recommended treatment regimens now approach those observed for uninfected adults.4 Often, however, suboptimal access to medical services hinders the optimal management of these patients. Pharmacists are well positioned to help close this gap owing to their accessibility, routine interactions with patients living with HIV, and opportunities to participate collaboratively in HIV testing, patient counseling, and ongoing monitoring of individuals prescribed ART.3,5 In this Point-of-Care 101 webinar, expert faculty will discuss the roles of clinical pharmacists in encouraging the prescription of recommended antiretroviral regimens, promoting therapeutic adherence, and monitoring patients with HIV infection longitudinally. The goal is to improve the ability of practicing pharmacists to manage patients with HIV infection, minimize potential drug interactions with ART, and tailor strategies for special populations, such as older cohorts or those with certain comorbidities.

References
1. CDC. Singh S, et al. Presented at Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections; February 14, 2017; Seattle, WA. Abstract 30.
2. DHHS. National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020. https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/national-hivaids-strategy-updated-2020. Accessed October 5, 2017.
3. Schafer JJ, et al. ASHP guidelines on pharmacist involvement in HIV care. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2016;73(7):468-494.
4. Günthard HF, et al. Antiretroviral drugs for treatment and prevention of HIV infection in adults: 2016 recommendations of the International Antiviral Society–USA Panel. JAMA. 2016;316(2):191-210.
5. Kauffman Y, et al. Identifying medication-related needs of HIV patients: foundation for community pharmacist-based services. Inov Pharm.2014;5(1): Article 139.