Effect of clinical pharmacists on utilization of and clinical response to antiretroviral therapy.

Objective: To determine the association of clinical pharmacists with health outcomes and utilization measures among HIV-infected patients.

Methods: Observational study of 1571 HIV-infected patients prescribed their initial highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen in clinics with and without a clinical pharmacist. Outcomes analyzed were changes in plasma HIV RNA level, CD4 T-cell counts, and service utilization (hospital days, emergency department visits, and office visits) over 24 months based on exposure to a clinical pharmacist.