Background: A benchmark of near-perfect adherence (≥95%) to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is often cited as necessary for HIV viral suppression. However, given newer, more effective ART medications, the threshold for viral suppression may be lower. We estimated the minimum ART adherence level necessary to achieve viral suppression. Settings: The Patient-centered HIV Care Model demonstration project. Methods: Adherence to ART was calculated using the proportion of days covered measure for the 365-day period before each viral load test result, and grouped into 5 categories (<50%, 50% to <80%, 80% to <85%, 85% to <90%, and ≥90%). Binomial regression analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with viral suppression (HIV RNA <200 copies/mL); demographics, proportion of days covered category, and ART regimen type were explanatory variables. Generalized estimating equations with an exchangeable working correlation matrix accounted for correlation within subjects. In addition, probit regression models were used to estimate adherence levels required to achieve viral suppression in 90% of HIV viral load tests. Results: The adjusted odds of viral suppression did not differ between persons with an adherence level of 80% to <85% or 85% to <90% and those with an adherence level of ≥90%. In addition, the overall estimated adherence level necessary to achieve viral suppression in 90% of viral load tests was 82% and varied by regimen type; integrase inhibitor- and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based regimens achieved 90% viral suppression with adherence levels of 75% and 78%, respectively. Conclusions: The ART adherence level necessary to reach HIV viral suppression may be lower than previously thought and may be regimen-dependent.

Patient adherence (the degree to which patients follow their therapeutic regimen as prescribed within a set period of time) and persistence (the time to treatment discontinuation, with a permissible gap) with drug therapy are essential components of HIV/AIDS treatment. Select community pharmacies offer specialized services for HIV/AIDS patients to help combat some of the barriers to adherence and persistence. We assessed adherence and persistence with antiretroviral therapy (ART) for patients using HIV-specialized pharmacies in nine cities from seven states compared to traditional community pharmacy users over a 1-year period. Data were limited to one pharmacy chain. Propensity scoring was used to obtain 1:1 matches for ''Specialized'' and ''Traditional'' pharmacy users based on age, gender, number of prescription-inferred chronic conditions (obtained by mapping a patient's prescriptions to the Medi-Span Drug Indications Database), and presence of prescription anxiety and/or depression medication, resulting in 7064 patients in each group. Proportion of days covered (PDC) was used to measure adherence. Specialized pharmacy users had a significantly greater mean (74.1% versus 69.2%, p < 0.0001) and median (90.3% versus 86.3%, p < 0.0001) PDC. A greater percentage of patients in the Specialized group were able to obtain a PDC of 95% or better (39.3% versus 35.5%). Patients in the Specialized group were significantly more persistent ( p = 0.0117). Community pharmacies specialized in HIV services may be effective avenues for helping patients achieve greater adherence and persistence with ART. Given the value of specialized community pharmacies, payers should consider implementing policies to encourage the use of such pharmacies for filling ART.

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral suppression (VS) decreases morbidity, mortality, and transmission risk. Methods The Patient-centered HIV Care Model integrated community-based pharmacists with HIV medical providers and required them to share patient clinical information, identify therapy-related problems, and develop therapy-related action plans. Proportions adherent to antiretroviral therapy (proportion of days covered [PDC] ≥90%) and virally suppressed (HIV RNA &lt;200 copies/mL), before and after model implementation, were compared. Factors associated with postimplementation VS were determined using multivariable logistic regression; participant demographics, baseline viral load, and PDC were explanatory variables. PDC was modified to account for time to last viral load in the year postimplementation, and stratified as &lt;50%, 50% to &lt;80%, 80% to &lt;90%, and ≥90%. Results The 765 enrolled participants were 43% non-Hispanic black, 73% male, with a median age of 48 years; 421 and 649 were included in the adherence and VS analyses, respectively. Overall, proportions adherent to therapy remained unchanged. However, VS improved a relative 15% (75% to 86%, P &lt; .001). Higher PDC (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.74 per 1-level increase in PDC category [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.30–2.34]) and baseline VS (AOR, 7.69 [95% CI, 3.96–15.7]) were associated with postimplementation VS. Although non-Hispanic black persons (AOR, 0.29 [95% CI, .12–.62]) had lower odds of suppression, VS improved a relative 23% (63% to 78%, P &lt; .001). Conclusions Integrated care models between community-based pharmacists and primary medical providers may identify and address HIV therapy–related problems and improve VS among persons with HIV.