Antiretrovirals: reality or illusion?

: The use of antiretroviral drugs and combination therapy to treat HIV disease has been widely favored, despite obstacles such as cost, difficult dosing schedules, management of side effects, and inexperience of health practitioners in customizing treatment and counseling patients on use and adherence. Several benefits of drug therapy are discussed. One benefit is that the cost of therapy is lower than the overall cost of a patient not on therapy who will need more services and hospitalizations and will have higher incidences of opportunistic infections. Drug therapy also enables individuals to continue contributing to society by slowing the development of HIV and improving the quality of life. The Pan American Health Organization and UNAIDS are investigating ways to improve access to drugs in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other countries by working with pharmaceutical companies to coordinate drug purchases or negotiate price reductions. In addition, in order for antiretroviral therapy to be most effective, treatment should also include counseling, testing, and education.