Adherence to On-Time ART Drug Pick-Up and Its Association with CD4 Changes and Clinical Outcomes Amongst HIV Infected Adults on First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy in Nigerian Hospitals.

Medication adherence is a major determinant of antiretroviral treatment (ART) success. Promptness in medication refill pick-ups may give an indication of medication adherence. This study determined medication refill adherence among HIV positive patients on ART and its association with treatment outcomes in HIV treatment centers in Nigeria. This retrospective multi-center cohort study involved a review of ART refill records for 3534 HIV-positive patients aged 18-60 years who initiated first-line ART between January 2008 and December 2009 and were on therapy for ≥18 months after ART initiation. Drug refill records of these patients for 10 consecutive refill visits after ART initiation were analyzed. The first ten consecutive refill appointment-keeping rates after ART initiation ranged from 64.3 % to 76.1 % which decreased with successive visits. Altogether, 743 (21.1 %) patients were deemed adherent, meaning they picked up their drugs within 7 days of the drug refill appointment date on at least nine out of ten refill visits. The adherent group of patients had a mean CD4 cells increase of 206 ± 6.1 cells/dl after 12 months of ART compared to 186 ± 7.1 cells/dl reported among the nonadherent group (p = 0.0145). The proportion of patients in the adherent category who showed no OIs after 12 months on ART (81 %) was significantly higher when compared to the proportion in the non-adherent category (23.5 %), (p = 0.008). The multivariate analysis showed that the odds of being adherent was 2-3 times more in patients who had a baseline CD4 count of less than 200 cells/dl compared to those with a baseline CD4 of >350 cells/dl. (AOR 2.43, 95 % CI 1.62-3.66). In addition, for patients with baseline CD4 cell count of 201-350 cells/dl, the odds of being adherent was found to be 1.9 compared to those with baseline CD4 of greater than 350 cells/dl (AOR 1.93, 95 % CI 1.27-2.94). Pharmacy refill data can serve as an adherence measure. Adherence to on-time drug pickup on ≥90 % of refill appointments was associated with a better CD4 count response and a reduction in the presence of opportunistic infections in ART patients after 12 months of treatment.