Assessing pharmacists' perspectives of HIV and the care of HIV-infected patients in Alabama

Objective: The purpose was to assess factors potentially affecting care pharmacists provide to HIV/AIDS patients including comfort level, confidence, education, experience, professional competence, continuity of care and patient-provider relationship between pharmacists and HIV-infected patients. Methods: A 24-item questionnaire assessed the constructs of this study. Surveys were distributed from October 2009 to April 2010 to pharmacists in Alabama with varying levels of experience treating HIV-infected patients. Chi-square tests determined whether relationships existed between responses, consisting of how often respondents reported treating HIV-infected patients, amount of HIV education respondents had, participants' confidence with HIV/AIDS knowledge and comfort level counseling HIV-infected patients about their medications. Results: Thirty-three percent of the pharmacists cared for HIV-infected patients on a monthly basis, yet 86% do not feel very confident with their HIV/AIDS knowledge. Forty-four percent were not comfortable counseling patients on antiretroviral medications, and 77% would feel more comfortable with more education. Significant, positive relationships were revealed concerning how often respondents treat HIV-infected patients and their comfort level counseling them (r=0.208, p