A Call to Action: The Role of Antiretroviral Stewardship in Inpatient Practice, a Joint Policy Paper of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, HIV Medicine Association, and American Academy of HIV Medicine

An update on drug-drug interactions in older adults living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

INTRODUCTION

People with HIV are living longer due to advances in antiretroviral therapy. With improved life expectancy comes an increased lifetime risk of comorbid conditions - such as cardiovascular disease and cancer - and polypharmacy. Older adults, particularly those living with HIV, are more vulnerable to drug interactions and adverse effects, resulting in negative health outcomes.

AREA COVERED

Antiretrovirals are involved in many potential drug interactions with medications used to treat common comorbidities and geriatric conditions in an aging population of people with HIV. We review the mechanisms and management of significant drug-drug interactions involving antiretroviral medications and non-antiretroviral medications commonly used among older people living with HIV. The management of these interactions may require dose adjustments, medication switches to alternatives, enhanced monitoring, and considerations of patient- and disease-specific factors.

EXPERT OPINION

Clinicians managing comorbid conditions among older people with HIV must be particularly vigilant to side effect profiles, drug-drug interactions, pill burden, and cost when optimizing treatment. To support healthier aging among people living with HIV, there is a growing need for antiretroviral stewardship, multidisciplinary care models, and advances that promote insight into the correlations between an individual, their conditions, and their medications.

ART-related medication errors in hospitalized people with HIV in the INSTI-era: analysis from 2 health systems in South Georgia, U.S

ABSTRACTART-related medication errors occur at high rates in hospitalized people with HIV (PWH), but few studies included modern regimens. As such, we evaluated ART-related medication errors in hospitalized PWH in an era where use of INSTI-based regimens dominate. This multi-center, retrospective cohort included PWH at least 18 years hospitalized in South Georgia, U.S. between March 2016 and March 2018. Of those eligible for inclusion, 400 were randomly selected and included. Three hundred sixty-three inpatient ART-related medication errors occurred in 203 patients during the study period due to incorrect scheduling (44%), an incorrect or incomplete regimen (27%), and drug-drug interactions (27%). Approximately 25% of errors persisted to discharge. Medication errors were more likely to occur in patients receiving NNRTI- or PI-containing multi-tablet regimens, whereas those receiving INSTI-containing multi-tablet regimens were less likely to experience a medication error. ART-related medication errors are less likely in patients receiving INSTI-containing multi-tablet regimens. Ensuring appropriate transition of ART throughout hospitalization remains an area in need of significant improvement.

Antiretroviral Stewardship: Top 10 Questions Encountered by Stewardship Teams and Solutions to Optimize Therapy

PURPOSE

Infectious disease pharmacists and physicians overseeing antimicrobial stewardship programs possess expertise and often advanced certification in management of antiretrovirals to treat HIV. Stewardship programs are responsible for managing facility formularies and must stay up to date with the latest antiretrovirals, including once daily formulations and depot injectables. Furthermore, stewardship program members need to understand drug-interactions, short-, and long-term toxicities of these regimens, including dyslipidemia and cardiovascular effects. Patients receiving chronic antiretroviral therapy may present to the acute care, ambulatory care, and long-term care settings. Like other antimicrobials, audit-and-feedback, drug monitoring, and dose-optimization are often required to prevent antiretroviral associated medication errors and minimize resistance.

METHODS

A narrative review was conducted on antiretroviral stewardship, addressing common clinical questions encountered by stewardship teams and best practices to optimize antiretroviral therapy and reduce the risk for treatment interruptions, resistance, drug interactions, long term toxicities, and other adverse effects.

FINDINGS

People living with HIV are often hospitalized and treated by medical teams without formal HIV training. For this reason, these patients are at greater risk for medication errors during hospitalization and between transitions of care. Many opportunities are present for antiretroviral stewardship to mitigate these errors. Frequent updates to simplify HIV regimen, maintain select patients on fixed-dose combination tablets, and strategies to minimize drug interactions make it difficult for even the seasoned clinician to keep up regularly.

IMPLICATIONS

Despite the availability of free online HIV resources and progress made in HIV management, significant opportunities for antiretroviral stewardship remain. Implementing electronic order entry updates, formulary upgrades, and formal pharmacy renal dose adjustments to optimize antiretroviral therapy will help clinicians harness these opportunities. Dedicated time and expertise for antiretroviral stewardship as part of local antimicrobial stewardship programs are needed.

Antiretroviral stewardship in a tertiary academic hospital: The need for a clinical pharmacist

Background

South Africa has the highest prevalence of people living with HIV globally. Although antiretroviral therapy provides solutions, evidence of antiretroviral resistance emerged, requiring the application of antiretroviral-stewardship programmes to curb medication-related problems.

Aim

Identify and describe antiretroviral-stewardship pharmacist interventions in an active antiretroviral-stewardship programme.

Setting

HIV-positive adults admitted to medical wards at a tertiary academic hospital in South Africa.

Methods

A descriptive quantitative study was performed, utilising an antiretroviral-stewardship assessment tool to determine antiretroviral-related recommendations in the treatment of HIV-positive adults. The study employed purposive sampling. Treatment charts were evaluated to identify antiretroviral-stewardship recommendations. The number of recommendations highlighted the need for a clinical pharmacist in an active antiretroviral-stewardship programme. Descriptive data analysis with Pearson correlations was employed to display the data.

Results

Medication-related problems were identified in 100% of study patients (n = 41), with an average of 2.46 interventions per patient. One-hundred-and-one medication-related problems were identified by using the antiretroviral-stewardship assessment tool. The identified problems included a lack of viral load testing (41, 100%), lack of CD4 count monitoring (15; 36.6%) and lack of prophylactic treatment against opportunistic infections (10; 24.4%). Medication-related problems included the presence of clinically significant drug-drug interactions and serious side effects, CD4 count decline despite being on antiretroviral therapy, unnecessary treatment interruptions including risk for IRIS, inappropriate antiretroviral therapy regimen, non-adherence and absence of treating tuberculosis as co-morbidity.

Conclusion

Present study demonstrates the need of an active antiretroviral-stewardship programme's benefits. The possible role of the clinical pharmacist as active participant and leader in this programme is highlighted.

Contribution

Highlight the role of clinical pharmacists in antiretroviral stewardship.

Antiretroviral Drugs for Treatment and Prevention of HIV Infection in Adults: 2022 Recommendations of the International Antiviral Society-USA Panel

Importance

Recent advances in treatment and prevention of HIV warrant updated recommendations to guide optimal practice.

Objective

Based on a critical evaluation of new data, to provide clinicians with recommendations on use of antiretroviral drugs for the treatment and prevention of HIV, laboratory monitoring, care of people aging with HIV, substance use disorder and HIV, and new challenges in people with HIV, including COVID-19 and monkeypox virus infection.

Evidence Review

A panel of volunteer expert physician scientists were appointed to update the 2020 consensus recommendations. Relevant evidence in the literature (PubMed and Embase searches, which initially yielded 7891 unique citations, of which 834 were considered relevant) and studies presented at peer-reviewed scientific conferences between January 2020 and October 2022 were considered.

Findings

Initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended as soon as possible after diagnosis of HIV. Barriers to care should be addressed, including ensuring access to ART and adherence support. Integrase strand transfer inhibitor-containing regimens remain the mainstay of initial therapy. For people who have achieved viral suppression with a daily oral regimen, long-acting injectable therapy with cabotegravir plus rilpivirine given as infrequently as every 2 months is now an option. Weight gain and metabolic complications have been linked to certain antiretroviral medications; novel strategies to ameliorate these complications are needed. Management of comorbidities throughout the life span is increasingly important, because people with HIV are living longer and confronting the health challenges of aging. In addition, management of substance use disorder in people with HIV requires an evidence-based, integrated approach. Options for preexposure prophylaxis include oral medications (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or tenofovir alafenamide plus emtricitabine) and, for the first time, a long-acting injectable agent, cabotegravir. Recent global health emergencies, like the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and monkeypox virus outbreak, continue to have a major effect on people with HIV and the delivery of services. To address these and other challenges, an equity-based approach is essential.

Conclusions and Relevance

Advances in treatment and prevention of HIV continue to improve outcomes, but challenges and opportunities remain.

Pharmacist-Involved Antiretroviral Stewardship Programs in People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Systematic Review

People living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS; PLWHA) frequently encounter antiretroviral (ARV) therapy-related problems. Clinical pharmacists with specialized training in ARV stewardship play an important role in managing these problems. However, there is a paucity of evidence to clarify the impact of clinical pharmacists' interventions on managing ARV therapy-related problems in PLWHA. Therefore, we aim to systematically review the literature to determine the nature and impact of pharmacists' interventions on managing medication-related problems in PLWHA. The review protocol was registered on International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42020173078). Relevant records were identified from six electronic bibliographic databases (PubMed, Embase, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register) from their inception until September 2022. We included all randomized and nonrandomized interventional studies that were published in English. After the abstract and full-text screening, data were extracted from the selected studies, and the quality of the studies was assessed. The electronic database search and citation tracking identified two thousand and three citations. The review included 21 of these studies, involving 2998 PLWHA, published between 2014 and 2022. Pharmacists' interventions, working alone or in a multi-disciplinary team, comprised ARV medication review, management of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), therapeutic drug monitoring, prevention of drug interactions, and provision of drug information to PLWHA or the health care team. The pharmacist-involved interventions significantly reduced incorrect/incomplete ARV regimens, drug interactions, incorrect dosages, duplicate therapy, polypharmacy, administration errors, missing medication, wrong formulation, ADRs, and prescribing errors. Most studies reported that physicians usually accept more than 90% of the pharmacists' recommendations. ARV medication-related problems remain highly prevalent in PLWHA. Pharmacist-led interventions and stewardship significantly reduce ARV therapy-related problems in PLWHA and are widely accepted by physicians. Dedicated pharmacists with specialized training and credentialing in infectious diseases or HIV/AIDS have a great potential to improve health outcomes in PLWHA.

Increased viral load in a hospitalized patient on treatment with crushed bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide: A case report and review of the literature

DISCLAIMER

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.

PURPOSE

To describe a case of increased viral load in a patient with HIV-1 infection receiving treatment with crushed bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/FTC/TAF).

SUMMARY

A 43-year-old man, newly diagnosed with HIV, was hospitalized due to failure to thrive, neurological changes, and hypotension. Before treatment, the viral load of HIV RNA (VL) was 769,704 copies/mL and the CD4 + T-cell count was 36 cells/μL. On hospital day (HD) 8, B/FTC/TAF by mouth daily was initiated. During the hospitalization, the patient's course was complicated by opportunistic infections, bilateral pneumothorax, seizure activity, and acute respiratory distress, requiring multiple intubations and extended time in the intensive care unit. A repeat VL measurement on HD 28 was 5,887 copies/mL after the patient had received 14 of 20 scheduled B/FTC/TAF doses. Because of a failed swallow study and continued nutritional deficits, a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube was placed on HD 38 and continuous tube feeds via the PEG tube were initiated. Subsequently, the B/FTC/TAF order was modified to be crushed, mixed in 30 mL water, and administered daily via the PEG tube. A repeat VL measurement on HD 65 showed an increase to 8,047 copies/mL, despite receipt of 37 consecutive doses of B/FTC/TAF. B/FTC/TAF was discontinued and dolutegravir 50 mg twice daily, darunavir 800 mg plus ritonavir 100 mg (DRV/r), and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/FTC 200 mg/300 mg were started owing to virological increase, need for a viable option compatible with PEG tube delivery, and potential for integrase inhibitor resistance. At the time of regimen change (HD 67), a resistance panel showed minor mutations, E157Q and V118I. The regimen was streamlined with discontinuation of DRV/r on HD 92. The patient was discharged on HD 161. The PEG tube was removed 2 months after discharge, oral B/FTC/TAF was reinitiated, and the patient was virologically suppressed at 1 year after discharge.

CONCLUSION

Controlled studies are needed to verify acceptable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic metrics for crushed B/FTC/TAF given via tube, with and without tube feeds, before use in this manner.

Implementation of a pharmacist-led ARVSP in an academic hospital to reduce ART errors

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective was to compare the percentage of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) uncorrected errors during hospital admission before and after the implementation of an Antiretroviral Stewardship Program (ARVSP).

PRACTICE DESCRIPTION

This was a 2-year single-center, pre-post quality improvement study. Included in the study were admitted patients at least 18 years of age, diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and taking at least 1 antiretroviral. The baseline percentage of uncorrected ARV errors was retrospectively determined during the first year. The second year consisted of implementing an ARVSP that prospectively audited ART orders. The ARVSP consisted of a pharmacy resident, a medical resident, an infectious disease, HIV trained pharmacist, an infectious disease physician, and ancillary health care providers. The impact of the ARVSP was assessed by comparing the percentage of uncorrected errors between the 2 time periods.

RESULTS

The number of uncorrected errors were 64.1% versus 31.1% before and after ARVSP implementation, respectively (P < 0.05). Delay in therapy errors were statistically significantly reduced (30.1% vs. 22.2%; P < 0.05). The time to overall correction of any error before ARVSP was 3.1 days, and after ARVSP, it was 1.8 days (P = 0.11).

CONCLUSION

Implementation of an ARVSP reduces the number of uncorrected antiretroviral-related errors. Because health care resources are finite and focused on the acute care of hospitalized patients, this multidisciplinary practice model may provide a practical approach for similar institutions to improve antiretroviral stewardship surveillance in the inpatient setting.

A 34-Year-Old Man With HIV/AIDS and a Cavitary Pulmonary Lesion

A 34-year-old man presented to a community hospital with fever and fatigue for 3 days and was found to be febrile and tachycardic with a cavitary pulmonary lesion and paratracheal adenopathy on CT imaging. One month before, he had presented to his primary care provider with a palmar rash; he had been diagnosed and treated for syphilis and was also diagnosed with HIV. He had a CD4 count of 106 cells/μL and an HIV viral load of 1,290,000 copies/mL. Pneumocystis prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and antiretroviral treatment with only tenofovir and emtricitabine therapy were started 2 weeks before presentation.

Implementation of a comprehensive intervention focused on hospitalized patients with HIV by an existing stewardship program: successes and lessons learned

Background:

Several national organizations have advocated for inpatient antiretroviral stewardship to prevent the consequences of medication-related errors. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a stewardship initiative on outcomes in people with HIV (PWH).

Methods:

A pharmacist-led audit and review of adult patients admitted with an ICD-10 code for HIV was implemented to an existing antimicrobial stewardship program. A quasi-experimental, retrospective cohort study was conducted comparing PWH admitted during pre- and post-intervention periods. Rates of antiretroviral therapy (ART)-related errors and infectious diseases (ID) consultation with linkage to care were evaluated through selection of a random sample of patients receiving ART in each period. Length of stay (LOS) and mortality were assessed by analyzing all admissions in the post-intervention period. Clinical outcomes including LOS, 30-day all-cause hospital readmission, and in-hospital and 30-day mortality in the post-intervention group were stratified by patients not on ART, on ART at admission, and started on ART as a result of the intervention.

Results:

A total of 100 patients in the pre-intervention period and 103 patients in the post-intervention period were included to assess ART-related errors and linkage to care. A reduction in errors (70.0 versus 25.7%, p < 0.001) and increased linkage to care (19.0 versus 39.6%, p < 0.01) were demonstrated. Of 389 admissions during the post-intervention period, 30-day mortality rates were similar between PWH on ART at admission and those initiated on ART during admission (5% versus 8%, respectively), but less than those not on ART (21%). A longer LOS was observed in the patients started on ART during admission (5 days if ART started during admission versus 3 days if not started during admission, p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

This interdisciplinary intervention was successful in reducing inpatient ART-related errors and increasing ID consultation with linkage to care among PWH.

Antiretroviral Therapy Management in Adults With HIV During ICU Admission

The extended lifespan of people living with human immunodeficiency (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (PLWHA) has increased the potential for ICU admissions unrelated to HIV infection. The objective of this review is to guide continued management of antiretroviral therapy (ART) recommended by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Antiretroviral Guidelines in critically ill adult PLWHA admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to mitigate these concerns, including whether to continue ART in the ICU, drug interactions with common ICU drugs, renal and hepatic dosing considerations, and alternative methods of administration. Despite these concerns, the original ART regimen should be continued or modified in conjunction with an HIV specialist. Discontinuation greater than 2 weeks should be avoided due to potential resistance and future HIV treatment failure. Use of ART in critically ill patients presents challenges that pharmacists are best equipped to address to prevent adverse events, administration errors, and treatment failure.

A Baker's Dozen of Top Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention Publications in 2019

Staying current on literature related to antimicrobial stewardship can be challenging given the ever-increasing number of published articles. The Southeastern Research Group Endeavor (SERGE-45) identified antimicrobial stewardship–related peer-reviewed literature that detailed an actionable intervention for 2019. The top 13 publications were selected using a modified Delphi technique. These manuscripts were reviewed to highlight the actionable intervention used by antimicrobial stewardship programs to provide key stewardship literature for teaching and training and to identify potential intervention opportunities within one’s institution.

Impact of Pharmacist-Driven Antiretroviral Stewardship and Transitions of Care Interventions on Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Background

Persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience high rates of medication-related errors when admitted to the inpatient setting. Data are lacking on the impact of a combined antiretroviral (ARV) stewardship and transitions of care (TOC) program. We investigated the impact of a pharmacist-driven ARV stewardship and TOC program in persons with HIV.

Methods

This was a retrospective, quasi-experimental analysis evaluating the impact of an HIV-trained clinical pharmacist on hospitalized persons with HIV. Patients included in the study were adults following up, or planning to follow up, at the University of Illinois (UI) outpatient clinics for HIV care and admitted to the University of Illinois Hospital. Data were collected between July 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017 for the preimplementation phase and between July 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018 for the postimplementation phase. Primary and secondary endpoints included medication error rates related to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and opportunistic infection (OI) medications, all-cause readmission rates, medication access at time of hospital discharge, and linkage to care rates.

Results

A total of 128 patients were included in the study: 60 in the preimplementation phase and 68 in the postimplementation phase. After the implementation of this program, medication error rates associated with ART and OI medications decreased from 17% (10 of 60) to 6% (4 of 68) (P = .051), 30-day all-cause readmission rates decreased significantly from 27% (16 of 60) to 12% (8 of 68) (P = .03), and linkage to care rates increased significantly from 78% (46 of 59) to 92% (61 of 66) (P = .02).

Conclusions

A pharmacist-led ARV stewardship and TOC program improved overall care of persons with HIV through reduction in medication error rates, all-cause readmission rates, and an improvement in linkage to care rates.

Evaluation of human immunodeficiency virus curricular content in schools of pharmacy in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an important educational topic for student pharmacists given extended patient life expectancy and expanding pharmacist roles in HIV treatment and prevention. Data are lacking in regard to curricular content and type of training received by faculty to provide didactic and experiential HIV training.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, population-based survey of United States (US) pharmacy schools was conducted using a 15-item questionnaire. HIV content experts were surveyed at 135 four-year, accredited programs.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven responses were received from schools in the Midwestern (34%), Northeastern (26%), Southern (26%), and Western (14%) regions. Time devoted to didactic HIV education ranged from 0.5 to 60 hours. The majority of respondents (78%, n = 29) reported 10 or fewer hours of HIV-related content, with 41% (n = 15) reporting five or less hours of content. Experiential practice sites for HIV training were variable, with a majority (80%) including an outpatient infectious diseases/HIV clinic. Eighty percent of respondents also reported students receiving fewer than 25 encounters with people living with HIV (PLWH) throughout their entire experiential training. Over half (54%) of respondents reported that the primary HIV instructor devoted four hours per week or less to HIV care.

CONCLUSIONS

Diversity in the amount of time devoted to HIV didactic education existed among reporting US pharmacy schools. Few schools have dedicated faculty spending a substantial amount of time in direct care of PLWH. Minimum standards for HIV education in schools of pharmacy should be established.