Pharmacists are recognised as essential members of the HIV healthcare team, and appropriate pharmaceutical care improves outcomes for HIV-infected patients. This book sets out to provide pharmacists with a one-stop resource on all aspects of HIV pharmacotherapy. It covers the diagnosis and pharmacologic management of HIV infection, the pharmacologic management of HIV co-infection, HIV in primary care, and special populations with HIV.
The first section opens with a chapter offering an overview of HIV infection, which is followed by chapters on testing and diagnosis, antiretroviral therapy, initiating treatment, treatment failure and resistance, and preventing HIV transmission with antiretroviral therapy. The second section includes chapters on opportunistic infections, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis. Chapters in the third section deal with diverse groups of patients, including children; patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, mental health issues, pain, substance misuse, cancer, organ transplantation, women’s health issues; and transgender patients.
Each chapter begins with basic concepts followed by more advanced information and evidence-based recommendations for patient care. Tables and figures consolidate this information and provide a quick reference to important concepts, which can be useful in making direct patient-care decisions.
A discussion on the role of the pharmacist features toward the end of each chapter — here, the evidence, where available, to support this role is highlighted, and gaps in practice requiring additional study or research are identified. Links and references to the primary literature, practice guidelines and online tools — found at the end of each chapter — provide opportunities for additional learning.
In the past, pharmacists have had to consult medical textbooks, treatment guidelines and other literature for information on the management of patients with HIV. To my knowledge, no single reference source has provided pharmacists with all the information they need to carry out this role. This book goes a long way to achieving this goal. It will also be valuable to students wishing to increase their knowledge and understanding of HIV medicine.
Laurence A Goldberg
References
HIV pharmacotherapy: the pharmacist’s role in care and treatment, edited by Jason J Schafer, Jennifer M Cocohoba, Elizabeth M Sherman and Alice L Tseng. Pp xx+369. Price US$74. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (Maryland); 2018. ISBN 978-1-58528-576-1
