Adherence and clinical outcomes of HIV patients switching to a fixed-dose combination regimen.

Background: The efficacy of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is monitored using clinical markers such as viral load (VL) and CD4 counts. Adherence to ART has been associated with viral suppression and improved clinical outcomes.

Objectives: To determine the relationship between adherence status with multiple-tablet regimens (MTR) and fixed-dose combination (FDC) regimens, to weight, CD4 count and VL of patients living with HIV.

Completeness of pharmaceutical industry insulin adverse event reports from Africa and the Middle East.

Background: Growing numbers of patients with diabetes mellitus in Africa and the Middle East on antidiabetic therapies necessitate understanding adverse event reporting in these regions. We assessed pharmaceutical industry insulin individual case safety report (ICSR) completeness and completeness-associated variables.

Research Design And Methods: The observational cross-sectional study, set in an insulin-manufacturing company's safety database, assessed vigiGrade® completeness scores of African and Middle Eastern post-marketing ICSRs from January to December 2018, and case variables effects on completeness.

Individual Case Safety Reports Analysis for Patients with Diabetes Mellitus on Insulin in Africa and the Middle East.

Background: The growing numbers of patients with diabetes mellitus in Africa and the Middle East on antidiabetic therapies necessitate an understanding of adverse event (AE) reporting in these regions.

Objective: The aim of the study was to provide an AE reporting overview in patients using insulin in Africa and the Middle East by characterizing and comparing individual case safety reports (ICSRs) features.

Methods: The cross-sectional study analyzed ICSR data from a global pharmaceutical company's pharmacovigilance database for January to December 2018 to describe and compare patient demographics, report sources, reporter types, ICSR seriousness, suspect products, indication for insulin use and AE preferred terms, by country.

Standards of aminoglycoside therapeutic drug monitoring in a South African private hospital: perspectives and implications.

Background: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is essential to ensure that aminoglycoside peak concentrations are high enough for effective antimicrobial treatment and trough levels are low enough to minimise toxicity. Inappropriate utilisation of TDM may lead to suboptimal therapy, toxicity and waste of resources. This study aimed to investigate the standard of aminoglycoside TDM performed in adult hospitalised patients.