Allowing people living with HIV/AIDS ("PLWHAs") to make informed decisions about their own healthcare has been a cornerstone of the ADAP Advocacy Association's mission since the organization launched in 2007. All too often, local service providers and advocacy organizations take a paternal approach to PLWHAs, evidenced by the complaints expressed directly by the people themselves. One organization should be commended for their efforts to put important treatment-related information directly at the fingertips of PLWHAs, specifically as it relates to drug formularies under the AIDS Drug Assistance Program ("ADAP").
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The National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors ("NASTAD") announced late last year that it had updated its Online AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Formulary Database (2017 version). According to NASTAD, its database provides "an online, searchable, publicly available resource detailing state-by-state ADAP coverage of medications both individually and by drug class including HIV antiretroviral ("ARV") treatments, A1 Opportunistic Infections ("A1 OI") medications, treatments for hepatitis B and C, mental health and substance use treatment medications, and various vaccines and laboratory tests."[1]
The database offers the following:[2]
- General Information
- Antiretroviral medications
- ARV Generic Equivalents
- “A 1” opportunistic infection medications
- Hepatitis B treatments
- Hepatitis C treatments
- Substance use treatment medications
- Mental health treatment medications
- Other medication categories
- Vaccines
- HIV & STD diagnostics
- Hepatitis C diagnostics
NASTAD's 2017 Online AIDS Drug Assistance Program Formulary Database is available online at https://www.nastad.org/adap-formulary-database.
Making such a valuable resource available directly to PLWHAs (and others) cannot be under-estimated in its importance. Access to timely, appropriate care and treatment is essential to achieving improved medication adherence, greater peace-of-mind, and better health for people living with any chronic health condition. Yet we know one of the most stressful things for PLWHAs are their medications. More efforts like NASTAD's database should be implemented across the treatment cascade.
In fact, that is the very reason why we launched our ADAP Directory. It offers PLWHAs (and others) a one-stop online resource center for the latest ADAP information for better decision-making for HIV/AIDS care; improved quality of HIV/AIDS information; and assistance for advocates and medical staff. It also includes an ADAP Eligibility Calculator. The ADAP Directory is available online at http://adap.directory.
Yes, that was a shameless plug for our flagship program. Now back to NASTAD's efforts...
NASTAD's database is very comprehensive. Some key findings from the updated 2017 ADAP Formulary Database include:[3]
- 12 ADAPs have “open formularies” in which all FDA-approved medications are included, excluding designated exceptions
- 39 ADAPs cover one or more hepatitis B treatment medication
- 40 ADAPs cover one or more hepatitis C ("HCV") treatment medication
- 34 ADAPs cover one or more of the curative direct acting antiviral ("DAA") HCV treatment medications
- 46 ADAPs cover one or more of the most frequently prescribed mental health treatment medications
- 27 ADAPs cover one or more substance use treatment medication
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[1] Penner, Murray (2017, November 29); NASTAD Releases Updated 2017 ADAP Formulary Database; National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD).
[2] National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (2017, November 29); 2017 ADAP Formulary Database; National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD); page 4.
[3] Penner, Murray (2017, November 29); NASTAD Releases Updated 2017 ADAP Formulary Database; National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD).
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