The Efficacy of a US-Based Medicine Recycling Program Delivering Antiretroviral Drugs Worldwide

Abstract

Since 1996, AID FOR AIDS International (AFAI) has collected unused antiretroviral drugs (ART) and ``recycled'' these medications to over 600 people living with human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS abroad under its AIDS Treatment Access Program. The investigators evaluated AIDS Treatment Access Program's efficacy using immunologic and virologic outcomes. Of the 404 eligible clients who had baseline and follow-up CD4 counts, mean baseline versus most recent measure was 230 + 222 cells/mm 3 versus 372 + 256 cells/mm3 (P < .01). Of the 216 eligible clients who had baseline (>400 copies/mL) and follow-up viral loads, 62% (134/ 216) had undetectable viral loads (<400 copies/mL) at their most recent measure. Median enrollment time in the recycling program was 3.1 years (range: 6 months to 9.5 years). AFAI's medication recycling program is efficacious in reaching and improving the clinical outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Such programs should be considered a viable option among scale-up programs until governments provide universal access of ART to PLWHA.