Medications available through HIV clinics

HIV services prescribe anti-retroviral medications and medications used to treat opportunistic infections related to HIV. Any other medications a patient is on (e.g. anti-hypertensives) are to be prescribed by primary care.

Routine recommended vaccinations will not be provided by the HIV services.

Non-routine vaccines that HIV clinics would give where eligibility criteria is met are Hepatitis A and B and HPV

Drug interactions

HIV medicines can interact with prescribed and over-the-counter medicines. It is important to list anti-retroviral medication on a patient’s primary care medical file to assist in the automatic detection of potential interactions. 

Resource for assessing potential interactions – the HIV Drug Interaction website uses a traffic light system:

• green – no interaction, safe to prescribe
• orange – potential interaction, find an alternative or discuss with the HIV clinic
• red – contraindicated, find an alternative or discuss with HIV clinic

Do not assume no interaction if not on the website. Seek specialist advise.

Statin guidance for people living with HIV

All people with HIV aged over 40 should be initiated on a statin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, regardless of lipid profile or cardiovascular risk.

BHIVA recently introduced this recommendation as a result of:

• a higher prevalence of CVD in people with HIV;
• an underestimation of CV risk in people with HIV by risk calculators; and
• the findings of a large, randomised trial (the REPRIEVE Trial) which showed a significant benefit of a statin over placebo in people with HIV who had low to moderate cardiovascular risk. 

The recommended statin and dose is atorvastatin 20 mg OD. (There are drug-drug interactions between some anti-retroviral medications and atorvastatin which may mean a different starting dose of atorvastatin.)