(1003) Assessment of a Blister Package Technology Program and Its Impact on Medication Adherence Among HIV Patients in Puerto Rico

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to describe how the implementation of a blister package technology program impacts antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and viral load in HIV patients in Puerto Rico and compare them with those not enrolled in the program. Adherence to ART is a key component to maintain viral suppression and improve quality of life in people living with HIV (PLWH). Previous studies show that implementing strategies such as customized blister packages can increase adherence and decrease viral load on this population. Centro Ararat is a non-profit organization that provides multidisciplinary primary health services, including HIV management and pharmacy services. Patients receiving services at Centro Ararat have the option to be enrolled on a blister pack technology program (Dispill). This program dispenses multi-dose medications in sealed, closed blister packages for patients that take at least five medications for their chronic conditions and have poor compliance with the goal of improving their adherence. To our knowledge, there are no current studies in the literature that evaluate how adherence strategies like blister packages impact ART adherence and viral load among the HIV community in Puerto Rico.

Methods: A cross-sectional study will be performed among patients from Centro Ararat. A self-administered survey will serve as the data collection tool. Prospect patients, identified by pharmacy personnel, will be invited for participation and offer a brief orientation about the purpose of the study to those interested. The inclusion criteria comprise being 21 years or older, have a positive HIV diagnosis, be on at least five medications (including oral ARTs for >3 months), and with the ability to read and write in Spanish. Upon consenting to participate, patients will receive instructions for completing the survey. The instrument will collect demographic characteristics such as age group, sex assigned at birth, income level, educational level, employment status, and insurance type. In addition, the survey will assess status of enrollment in the blister-packaging program as well as concomitant medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Questions assessing medication adherence will be incorporated from the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ), a validated tool available in Spanish. The SMAQ consists of six questions that address factors such as forgetfulness, adherence to routine, experiences of adverse reactions to medications, and quantification of missed doses. To determine HIV clinical outcomes, patients’ medical records will be used to assess CD4 levels and HIV viral load, at baseline and after initiating the blister-packaging program. Statistical analysis will include descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. Also, the association between adherence and viral load will be assessed for those on and off the blister-packaging program. This study is pending Institutional Review Board approval from Nova Southeastern University.

Results: Research in Progress

Conclusions: Research in Progress