HIV management requires team of physicians

Appropriate management of HIV/AIDS patients requires a multidisciplinary team, and the role of the primary care physicians remains crucial, particularly in the treatment of comorbidities in infected patients.

While many PCPs refer HIV patients to specialists for HIV-targeted therapy, they may still see the patient for ongoing management of chronic or acute, unrelated issues. For this reason, PCPs need to be aware of the therapeutic care paths, complications, and medication interactions possible in HIV management, said Frank Romanelli, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, AAHIVP, professor and associate dean at the University of Kentucky’s College of Pharmacy in Lexington, Kentucky.

Romanelli helped create guidelines for the American Academy of Family Physicians and told Medical Economics that treatment with antiretroviral agents have enabled HIV-positive patients to be managed in a chronic rather than acute manner, and has resulted in a prolonged lifespan for most patients. However, this also makes treatment of secondary diagnoses that much more important.

“These patients will develop many of the same co-morbidities that HIV un-infected patients may develop as they age. More aggressive attention to these co-morbidities is necessary as they may progressive more aggressively in HIV-infected patients is warranted,” Romanelli said. “Closer attention to medication adherence and preventative screenings is necessary. Patients should be particularly cognizant of their immunizations status and timely vaccinations.”

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