ADAPs continue to play a critical role in efforts to end the domestic HIV epidemic by providing and maintaining access to medications for people living with HIV (PLWH). Effective antiretroviral therapy is associated with optimal health outcomes such as viral load suppression, which in turn greatly reduces HIV transmission and rates for new infections. Yet PLWH experience other health concerns beyond HIV, many of which also require access to medications and treatment. As ARVs have greatly extended the life expectancy of PLWH, other conditions that occur as a result of aging are increasingly important to address and treat. Finally, issues related to hepatitis, substance use and mental health pose challenges to PLWH in terms of their broader health and well-being and the overall effectiveness of ARV treatment.
The National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) recently released the 2018 Online AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Formulary Database (the Database), which may be accessed via the accompanying User’s Guide. The Database provides an online, searchable, publicly available resource detailing state-by-state ADAP coverage of medications both individually and by drug class including HIV antiretroviral (ARV) treatments, “A1” Opportunistic Infections (A1 OI) medications, treatments for hepatitis B and C, mental health and substance use treatment medications, and various vaccines and laboratory tests and includes ADAP formulary coverage for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as of December 31, 2017.
