Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Claudia Allers, Erin Hasselberg, and Erik Takang. Deliver Project, John Snow, Inc., 1616 N. Fort Myer Drive, 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209, 703-528-7474, ebroekhuysen@jsi.com

Quantification of pediatric ARVs to ensure that the right formulations, dosages, and quantities of drugs are procured is a major challenge in providing ART for children. Prescribing and quantifying pediatric ARVs is complex because of the need for re-dosing as children grow, switching from liquids to pills for older children, and the use of adult formulations for children. Pediatric quantification is further hampered by the scarcity of data available on pediatric ART patients, and consumption and supply of pediatric ARVs.

Clear treatment guidelines for pediatric dosing must be established to translate numbers of patients into quantities of drugs needed, and to guide assumptions about the rate at which children will need to change regimens and formulations over time. Without data, program managers must consult service providers, clinical experts, and pharmacists to develop informed assumptions on which to base the quantification. Assumptions must be made about the number of pediatric patients on ART, the percentage of patients on each regimen, the proportion that will require liquid versus tablet or capsule formulations, and the use of adult formulations. Challenges in availability of data should be addressed by improving data collection and frequently updating quantifications as better data becomes available.

Procurement based on a well-informed quantification methodology limits the risk of product wastage and interruptions in supply and helps ensure availability for patients.

This paper presents considerations and a common framework for quantification of pediatric ARV drugs in data-limited settings based on experiences in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the session participants will be able to

• Identify the key challenges in quantifying pediatric ARV drugs
• Describe a methodology for quantifying pediatric ARVs in data-limited settings
• Understand how a well-informed quantification improves procurement and availability of pediatric ARV drugs

Keywords: International Health, HIV/AIDS

Related Web page: www.deliver.jsi.com

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered