In recognition of the importance of adhering to antiretroviral therapy, Bristol-Myers Squibb has launched the ‘Lifestyle Booklet’, designed to assist individuals in their HIV treatment regimen.
Produced
in conjunction with the Pharmacy Department at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, the Clinical Nurse Specialist and Pharmacy team at St Mary’s Hospital, London and the Crusaid and Star Information Exchange, the ‘Lifestyle Booklet’ will be available for doctors, nurses and pharmacists to distribute to patients undergoing HIV therapy.
With
the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), adherence to multi-drug therapies has become a critical issue in the care of people with HIV/AIDS. In one study, only 47% of patients on HAART were able to maintain an undetectable viral load, with the strongest independent predictor of HAART failure being non-adherence. The
booklet comprises the following materials: 
Drug Factsheets – Factsheets include a photograph of, and information about antiretroviral drugs and cover all drugs available in the UK.
Adherence Factsheet – presented in a Q&A format, the Factsheet answers questions including ‘Why is adherence so important?’, ‘Do my tablets prevent me from passing on the virus?’ and ‘What about interactions with alcohol and other drugs?’.
Patient Wallet – designed with a pocket for the individual Factsheets, the wallet includes a daily timetable to record the individual’s daily drug regimen and a space to record the patient’s name and hospital details. Commenting
on the launch of the Lifestyle Booklet, Dr Nicola Smith, Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine and HIV at Chelsea and Westminster and Charing Cross Hospital, London, said:
“Patients
on antiretroviral therapy may be taking up to 22 tablets a day, in addition to other medication for the treatment and prevention of opportunistic infections. Some of these drugs need to be taken at eight hourly intervals, others have special dietary requirements. This can become a particular problem at weekends, when individuals follow a different routine from during the week. The ‘Lifestyle Booklet’ will help individuals, together with their healthcare team, to devise a drug regimen that suits their needs; it will also mean that patients can keep all their drug information in one place, and the photographs will help avoid any confusion between drugs”.
Lack
of knowledge about disease, anxiety over taking medication, concerns about side effects, complexity of regimens and poor carer-patient relationships have all been cited as reasons behind poor adherence. Bristol-Myers Squibb hopes that the ‘Lifestyle Booklet’, in conjunction with other adherence-aiding devices such as alarms and pill boxes, will help individuals adhere to their prescribed regimens.
The
‘Lifestyle Booklets’ are supplied to healthcare professionals in a plastic box file, which stores multiple copies of the wallets and Factsheets. Supplies of the wallet, Factsheets and box files can be obtained from Poonam Parmar, at Bristol-Myers Squibb, 141-149 Staines Road, Hounslow, Middlesex TW3 3JA. Telephone: 0181 754 3690. |