PHARMACEUTICAL CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS LIVING WITH HIV

Abstract

The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is an immunological disease caused by the HIV retrovirus. Problems with the use of Antiretrovirals are due to the complexity of the dosage and the patient's adherence to treatment for prolonged periods as a challenge to the effectiveness of the therapeutic resources available against AIDS, and thus it is extremely important that there is Pharmaceutical Care, which according to the The World Health Organization is conceptualized as the professional practice in which the patient is the main beneficiary of the pharmacist's actions. The purpose of the pharmacist's performance is to achieve efficient and safe therapeutic results, privileging the health and quality of life of the patient, in order to increase the effectiveness of drug treatment. Thus, because the rate of HIV/AIDS carriers is constantly rising, it is of paramount importance to implement Pharmaceutical Care, in order to seek improvements in the quality of life of patients through adherence to appropriate treatment. The new drugs that have emerged for the treatment of HIV/AIDS have considerably changed the history of the disease, considerably improving the quality of life of patients with this syndrome, minimizing morbidity and mortality, enabling a safe and more tolerable treatment for the patient. However, for the benefits of the treatment to be achieved, the correct and daily use of medicines is essential, generating a new challenge, the adherence to therapy with Antiretrovirals, so we can consider that the interaction between the patient and the multiprofessional teams, including pharmacists is of paramount importance for adherence to treatment. However, the inclusion of the pharmacist in this team is a relatively new phenomenon and has the potential to positively impact adherence. Thus, the present study has as main objective to analyze the importance of the pharmacist's role in the adherence to treatment with Antiretrovirals.