Global patient safety and antiretroviral drug-drug interactions in the resource-limited setting.

Scale-up of HIV treatment services may have contributed to an increase in functional health facilities available in resource-limited settings and an increase in patient use of facilities and retention in care. As more patients are reached with medicines, monitoring patient safety is increasingly important. Limited data from resource-limited settings suggest that medication error and antiretroviral drug-drug interactions may pose a significant risk to patient safety. Commonly cited causes of medication error in the developed world include the speed and complexity of the medication use cycle combined with inadequate systems and processes. In resource-limited settings, specific factors may contribute, such as inadequate human resources and high disease burden. Management of drug-drug interactions may be complicated by limited access to alternative medicines or laboratory monitoring. Improving patient safety by addressing the issue of antiretroviral drug-drug interactions has the potential not just to improve healthcare for individuals, but also to strengthen health systems and improve vital communication among healthcare providers and with regulatory agencies.