Original research article |
* Family Health International/Zambia Prevention Care and Treatment Partnership, PO Box 320303;
Mutti Medical Center;
St John's Medical Center, Lusaka, Zambia
Correspondence to: Dr Kwasi Torpey Email: ktorpey{at}zpct.org
Many underdeveloped countries with poor health-care systems and limited resources are not capable of providing optimal treatment for HIV/AIDS to the millions of patients in need. The purpose of this study was to compare the adherence profile, adverse events and storage methods of patients in Zambia after switching from the lopinavir/ritonavir soft-gelatin capsule (SGC) to the LPV/r tablet. Twenty patients who had been taking LPV/r SGC 133.3 mg/33.3 mg twice daily for at least one month and who switched to LPV/r tablet 200 mg/50 mg, while maintaining the same nucleoside backbone, were surveyed. Results showed that patients adhered similarly to both formulations of LPV/r. However, 50% of patients taking the LPV/r SGC reported doing so without food on at least one occasion. Fifty-five percent of patients taking the LPV/r tablet reported rare or no diarrhoea compared with 15% of those taking the LPV/r SGC. Patients reported either foregoing refrigeration of the LPV/r SGC or adapting their lifestyles to fit the storage requirements of the SGC. These survey data demonstrate the advantage of using the LPV/r tablet over the LPV/r SGC in resource-limited countries such as Zambia.
Key Words: antiretroviral therapy • lopinavir/ritonavir • HIV/AIDS • Zambia • adherence
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