The paper, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, cites errors in the administration of antiretroviral treatment regimens for hospitalized patients with HIV that include incorrect dosing or scheduling of medicines and drug interactions occurring as frequently as 86% of the time in some settings studied. While inpatient errors are often corrected within 48 hours, the paper notes, in some settings they may be corrected in fewer than a quarter of cases before patients’ discharge.
The authors, who include AAHIVM Pharmacist Committee member David Koren and HIVMA Chair Dr. W. David Hardy, write that antiretroviral stewardship programs, modeled on current programs overseeing the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines in clinical settings and adapted to local needs would help to ensure the continuity of ARV therapy during hospital admission, enhance clinical outcomes and improve overall inpatient care.
The organizations call for advocacy, assessment of best practices, multidisciplinary, institutional-based approaches, and resources to expand existing stewardship programs to include expert oversight of antiretroviral treatment.
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scraped from https://www.newswise.com/articles/hiv-infectious-diseases-provider-organizations-call-for-in-patient-antiretroviral-stewardship