title: Bipolar medication use and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among patients with HIV-AIDS and bipolar disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study examined relationships between adherence to bipolar medication and to antiretroviral therapy, measured by medication fills, among patients with diagnoses of bipolar disorder and HIV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted of Medicaid claims data (2001-2004) from eight states, focusing on antiretroviral adherence. The unit of analysis was person-month (N=53,971). The average observation period for the 1,687 patients was 32 months. Analyses controlled for several patient characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients possessed antiretroviral drugs in 72% of the person-months. When a bipolar medication prescription was filled in the prior month, the rate of antiretroviral possession in the subsequent month was 78%, compared with 65% when bipolar medication was not filled in the prior month (p<.001). Odds of antiretroviral possession were 66% higher in months when patients had a prior-month supply of bipolar medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bipolar medication adherence may improve antiretroviral adherence among patients with bipolar disorder and HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University, 30 College Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. jaywalks@aol.com
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Walkup
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akincigil
authors.forename: Sujoy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakravarty
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olfson
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bilder
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Michele J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crystal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents