Medication Adherence of People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Davao City

Abstract

Medication adherence is imperative for people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV), as this directly affects the success of their treatment and the management of the condition. This study utilized a quantitative method to retrospectively review the specific and de-identified information in the pharmacy records of an HIV-dedicated facility in Davao City, Philippines. Davao City is the capital city of Region XI, one of the regions with a very high HIV incidence. The study revealed that the clients in the pharmacy records were predominantly male, ages 25 to 34 years old. The utilization of HAART increased from 2021 to 2024, as seen in the records. However, adherence fluctuated across the years. The frequency of adherent patients from 2021 to 2024 was 92.31%, 77.00%, 82.68%, and 81.00%, respectively. The chi-squared test revealed no significant difference in the number of adherent and non-adherent patients across the years, except in 2023 (X² = 9.955; p-value = .018) when grouped according to age. Medication adherence across the years investigated was favorable, with many patients showing good adherence to medication. However, there are patients who do not adhere and thus require follow-up and additional interventions in order to ensure the success of treatment and management.