Retrospective evaluation of cotrimoxazole use as preventive therapy in people living with HIV/AIDS in Boru Meda Hospital

BACKGROUND: Drug use evaluation is a performance improvement method that focuses on evaluating and improving drug use process to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Drug use evaluation helps in identifying, preventing or resolving actual and potential drug related problems. The objective of the study was to evaluate the use of cotrimoxazole as preventive therapy in people living with HIV/AIDS in Boru Meda Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia. METHODS: A retrospective drug use evaluation was conducted on patients’ medical history records based on a validated drug use evaluation criteria according to the national guideline. Medical history records of 248 patients were selected using systematic sampling method. RESULTS: The result showed that 49.6% of the patients were at WHO clinical stage III at the start of cotrimoxazole preventive therapy. In this study, the use of cotrimoxazole preventive therapy was consistent with the guideline in the rationale for indication (97.98%), dose (96.77%), and its use despite the presence of contraindications (91.93%). Problems regarding drug-drug interaction were identified in 49.59% of cases, and 20.97% of patients discontinued cotrimoxazole preventive therapy due to different reasons. CONCLUSIONS: In most patients cotrimoxazole preventive therapy was consistent with the national guideline regarding the rationale for indication, dose, discontinuation and its use in the presence of contraindications.