Adherence and viral suppression among participants of the patient-centered human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care model project: A collaboration between community-based pharmacists and HIV clinical providers

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 <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 <50%, 50% to <80%, 80% to <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 < .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 < .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.