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.

Introduction Persistence on preexposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention (PrEP) medication has rarely been reported for periods greater than one year, or in real‐world settings. This study used pharmacy fill records for PrEP users from a national chain pharmacy to describe persistence on PrEP medication over a two‐year period, and to explore correlates with PrEP medication persistence in a real‐world setting. Methods We analysed de‐identified pharmacy fill records of 7148 eligible individuals who initiated PrEP in 2015 at a national chain pharmacy. A standard algorithm was employed to identify TDF‐FTC use for PrEP indication. We considered three time periods for persistence, defined as maintaining refills in PrEP care: year 1 (zero to twelve months), year 2 (thirteen to twenty‐four months) and initiation to year 2 (zero to twenty‐four months). Individuals with 16 or more days of TDF‐FTC PrEP dispensed in a 1‐month period for at least three‐quarters of a given time period (e.g. nine of twelve months or eighteen of twenty‐four months) were classified as persistent on PrEP medication for the period. Results Persistence was 56% in year 1, 63% in year 2 and 41% from initiation to year 2. Individuals aged 18 to 24 had the lowest persistence, with 29% from initiation to year 2. Men had higher persistence than women, with 42% compared to 20% persistent from initiation to year 2. Individuals with commercial insurance and individuals who utilized a community‐based specialty pharmacy from the national chain also had higher persistence. Male gender, age >18 to 24 years, average monthly copay of $20 or less, commercial insurance, and utilization of a community‐based specialty pharmacy were positively associated in adjusted models with persistence in year 1 and from initiation to year 2; the same correlates, with the exception of utilization of a community‐based specialty pharmacy, were associated with higher persistence in year 2. Conclusions We found substantial non‐persistence on PrEP medication in both year 1 and year 2. Across the entire 2‐year period, only two out of every five users persisted on PrEP. Demographic, financial and pharmacy factors were associated with persistence. Further research is needed to explore how social, structural or individual factors may undermine or enhance persistence on PrEP, and to develop interventions to assist persistence on PrEP.

Poor retention in HIV care is associated with higher morbidity and mortality and greater risk of HIV transmission. The Patient-Centered HIV Care Model (PCHCM) integrated community-based pharmacists with medical providers. The model required sharing of patient clinical information and collaborative therapy-related action planning. The proportion of persons retained in care (≥1 medical visit in each 6-month period of a 12-month measurement period with ≥60 days between visits), pre-and post-PCHCM implementation, was modeled using log binomial regression. Factors associated with post-implementation retention were determined using multi-variable regression. Of 765 enrolled persons, the plurality were male (n = 555) and non-Hispanic black (n = 331), with a median age of 48 years (interquartile range = 38-55); 680 and 625 persons were included in the pre-and post-implementation analyses, respectively. Overall, retention improved 12.9% (60.7-68.5%, p = 0.002). The largest improvement was seen among non-Hispanic black persons, 22.6% increase (59.7-73.2%, p < 0.001). Persons who were non-Hispanic black [adjusted risk ratio (ARR) 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-1.48] received one or more pharmacistclinic developed action plan (ARR 1.51, 95% CI 1.18-1.93), had three or more pharmacist encounters (ARR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.30), were more likely to be retained post-implementation. In the final multi-variable models, only race/ethnicity [non-Hispanic black (ARR 1.27, 95% CI 1. 09-1.48

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BackgroundThe patient-centered HIV care model was developed to integrate community pharmacists with HIV clinical providers to deliver patient-centered HIV care. The project required 10 clinics to share, with their partnered community-based pharmacists, patients’ medical histories, laboratory results, and medications. Pharmacists reviewed the clinic data and worked directly with participants and/or their partnered clinics to make recommendations and discuss potential intervention strategies for identified therapy-related problems.MethodsWe calculated the proportion of persons virally suppressed (<200 copies/mL at the last test in each of two 12-month measurement periods), pre- and post-model implementation. Included in the analysis were persons with ≥1 HIV viral load in each measurement period. McNemar’s test was used to compare the proportion virally suppressed, pre- and postimplementation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with viral suppression, postimplementation. Participant demographics and the proportion of days covered (PDC; a measure used to calculate adherence to medication therapy) were used as explanatory variables in the model. The PDC was modified to account for the time to the last viral load in the measurement period, and was stratified into 4 categories: ≥90%, <90–80%, <80–50%, and <50%.ResultsWith 765 persons enrolled, the plurality of those included in the analysis (n = 648) were non-Hispanic black (n = 286), male (n = 470), and had a median age of 49 years (IQR=38–56). Viral suppression improved 16.3% from 73.9% to 85.9%, pre- to postimplementation (P < 0.001). Persons who had higher modified PDC (OR 1.9 per category level; 95% CI 1.4–2.6), were currently employed (OR 4.1; 1.6–12.8), or age >50 years (OR 4.7; 2.1–11.8), had greater odds of being suppressed. Non-Hispanic black persons were less likely to be suppressed (OR 0.2; 0.1–0.6); however, viral suppression among this group improved from 62.5% to 77.6%, pre- to postimplementation (P < 0.001).ConclusionCollaborations between community pharmacists and HIV clinic providers that seek to identify and address HIV therapy-related problems can lead to improved viral suppression among persons living with HIV.Disclosures P. Clay, Jaguar Health, Inc.: Consultant and Speaker’s Bureau, Consulting fee and Speaker honorarium. Merck & Co., Inc.: Investigator, Research grant. A. Delpino, Walgreens: Employee and Shareholder, Salary.

Background Improved retention-in-care may enhance health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). While laboratory surveillance data may be used to gauge retention, no previous reports have compared surveillance lab vs. clinic visit-based measures of retention-in-care. We compared lab surveillance vs. clinic visit-based approaches for identifying retention status for PLWHA. Methods We examined 2011 patient visit data from the Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center, Cook County's HIV clinic. We defined retained patients as those with visits every 6 months over 2 years and matched patients classified via visit data against HIV surveillance labs reported to the Chicago Department of Health. We determined the sensitivity, specificity and receiver operator characteristics of varying lab surveillance vs. clinic visit measures of retention. Results Of patients classified via clinic visit data, 91% of 1,714 in-care vs. 22% of 200 out-of-care patients met our most stringent surveillance based retention definition – having ≥ 2 viral load/CD4s performed 90 days apart reported by the same laboratory in 2011. Of surveillance lab-based definitions for retention, having ≥ 2 HIV viral load and/or CD4 values at least 3 months apart reported from the same facility possessed the best receiver operator parameters and the receiver operator characteristics curve comparing several surveillance lab vs. clinic-visit based retention measures had an area under the curve of 0.95. Discussion Our findings demonstrate that surveillance laboratory data can be used to assess retention-in-care for PLWHA. These data suggest that bi-directional data sharing between public health entities and care providers could advance re-engagement efforts.

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Collaboration between providers and an LSP minimized delay in therapy, lowered rates of DAA denial, facilitated patient financial assistance, and helped to optimize clinical outcomes. The PP-SVR rate for this study was similar to rates reported in the literature and higher than expected, considering the inclusion of earlier-generation DAAs and many patients with advanced liver disease.