E-DRUG: ARV adherence in resource-poor settings (2)
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Dear Colleague,
The problem you are addressing is a very valid one in ARV therapy. We have tried to tackle this issue in the following way: Since all patients on HAART have been thoroughly counseled on how to administer their medicines, we assume they may take their medication in the hospital as they do at their homes. So what we do is that ARV patients, who are admitted to a ward, remain with their ARV's (that they bring from home or are provided with from the pharmacy) at their bedside and it remains their responsibility to take them in time. In case, there occurs any problem someone from the ARV pharmacy goes to the ward and does bedside counseling.
Of course, if a patient falls very ill so that she/he may no longer take the medication alone, then one has to look for alternatives: either nursing staff or support persons from outside the hospital are asked for assistance. So far this system has been working quite well at our hospital.
regards
Karl F. Steinhausen
Pharmacist, ARV-Clinic
Keetmanshoop State Hospital
P.O.Box 93
Keetmanshoop - NAMIBIA
ph: +264-63-220 9020 (Off)
mobile: +264-81-22 11 379
e-mail: kfsteinhausen@gmx.net