DRUG USAGE EVALUATION AND INTERVENTION IN THE AIDS POPULATION

THIS PHASE I STUDY WOULD DEVELOP AND TEST A MICROCOMPUTER PROGRAM INTENDED TO IMPROVE THE DRUG USAGE EVALUATION (DUE) FOR THERAPIES ACTIVE AGAINST THE HIV AND OPPORTUNISTIC PATHOGENS IN THE AIDS POPULATION. DUE IS AN ESSENTIAL QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITY, BUT 80% TO 88% OF ALL HOSPITALS HAVE NOT EFFECTIVELY INCORPORATED DUE INTO THEIR QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAMS. THIS PHASE I STUDY WOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE COMPUTER PROGRAM WHICH WOULD ALLOW READY ACCESS BY THE PHARMACIST TO A DRUG DATABASE CONTAINING PROPER DUE CRITERIA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF AIDS PATIENTS. THE PROGRAM WOULD RECEIVE INPUT OF PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS AND DISEASE, DRUG, THERAPEUTIC AND RENAL FUNCTION INFORMATION. BASED UPON SUBROUTINES WHICH ACCESS A DRUG DATABASE, PHARMACOKINETIC DOSING SOFTWARE AND THE HOSPITAL'S DUE CRITERIA FOR AIDS THERAPY, THE PROGRAM OUTPUT WOULD RECOMMEND MODIFICATIONS IN THERAPY (IF NEEDED) AND NOTIFYING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH THE PROPOSED OR MODIFIED THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN. TESTS OF THE PROGRAM WOULD EVALUATE THE ACCURACY OF THE PROGRAM'S RECOMMENDATION, USING THE DUE EVALUATION OF THE HOSPITAL PHARMACY AND THERAPEUTICS (P&T) COMMITTEE AS THE "GOLD STANDARD.