Product selection/Rational use
Selection
WHO produced a set of guidelines that addresses treatment regimens and operational concerns for antiretroviral treatment (ART) scale up in countries. The treatment guidelines are intended to support and facilitate proper management and rapid scale up of ART programs.
Correct use of drugs by patients is critical for effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment. The rational use of drugs involves medications available at the lowest possible cost, prescribed to meet patients' individual clinical needs, given in appropriate doses and for adequate period of time.
Sources of antiretrovirals (ARVs)
Information on sources and prices of ARVs are subject to periodic changes in view of the continuous and rapid introduction of new products and new product combinations on the market.
Various documents on sources and prices of selected ARVs are available, as for example: "Sources and prices of selected medicines and diagnostics for people living with HIV/AIDS" produced by UNICEF, 2007 and "Untangling the Web of Price Reductions, MSF, July 2007 / 10th edition (September 2007 revision)"by MSF. Furthermore, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria published the Global Fund Purchase Price report which presents the prices that Global Fund grant recipients paid for ARVs and diagnostics for their programmes. Another comprehensive tool to compare ARV prices in countries is the Global Price Monitoring Mechanism operated by AMDS partners.
Treatment guidelines and technical tools
- a. Antiretroviral drugs for treating pregnant women and preventing HIV infection in infants: towards universal access (2006)
- b. Guidelines on co-trimoxazole prophylaxis for HIV-related infections among children, adolescents and adults (2006)
- c. Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in adults and adolescents: towards universal access (2006)
- d. Antiretroviral therapy of HIV infection in infants and children: towards universal access (2006)
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e. IDA price indicator list (2006) for all medicines
pdf, 3.51Mb -
f. IDA price indicator list (2006) for for HIV/AIDS
pdf, 1.25Mb - g. ART guidelines for scaling up in resource-limited settings (2003 Revision)
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h. Review of Antiretroviral Therapy Guidelines in Select Countries of Africa and the Caribbean: A Challenge for Optimizing Treatment and Product Supply (MSH/RPM Plus)
pdf, 293kb - i. Antiretroviral drugs for treating pregnant women and preventing HIV infection in infants (2004)
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j. HIV-related opportunistic diseases: UNAIDS technical update, 1998
pdf, 245kb -
k. Interim policy on collaborative TB/HIV activities, 2004
pdf, 400kb -
l. Palliative care: issues and challenges, 2002
pdf, 55kb -
m. AIDS: Palliative Care, UNAIDS technical update, 2000
pdf, 804kb -
n. Standard treatments and essential drugs for HIV-related conditions, 1997
pdf, 1.77Mb - o. Guidelines for the use of ARV agents in HIV-infected adults and adolescents
- p. Sexually transmitted and other reproductive tract infections
- q. Standard Operating Procedures for Pharmaceutical Services (Coast Provincial Hospital ART Programme, Kenya)
- r. Promoting Rational Drug Use: A CD-ROM Training Course
Antiretrovirals and essential medicines
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a. Survey of the quality of antiretroviral medicines circulated in selected African countries (WHO)
pdf, 2.40Mb - b. Deliver ARV fact sheets
- c. GFATM
- d. Monographs for antiretrovirals
- e. List of prequalified products and manufacturers
- f. Selection of rational use of medicines (WHO/Medicine)
- g. MSH/RPM-Plus