Journal Article

The Feasibility and Acceptability of a Clinical Pharmacist-delivered Intervention to Reduce Bothersome Health Symptoms from Polypharmacy and Alcohol Use and Communicate Risk among People with HIV: Pilot Study Protocol

Virata, Michael, Hsieh, Evelyn, Marconi, Vincent C., Justice, Amy C., Aoun-Barakat, Lydia, Fiellin, David A., Womack, Julie A., Brown, Shan-Estelle, Sager, Annette S., Fraenkel, Liana, Zaets, Lauren N., Garcia, Adelyn, Kidwai-Khan, Farah, Pulk, Rebecca, Leblanc, Micaela M., Maisto, Stephen A., Edelman, E. Jennifer, Fisher, Jeffrey, Martino, Steve, Satre, Derek D.

2025

Overview

Among persons with HIV (PWH), unhealthy alcohol use and polypharmacy contribute to bothersome symptoms (e.g., fatigue, dizziness, memory loss). However, effective risk communication targeting these associations is challenging. The HIV and Alcohol Research center focused on Polypharmacy (HARP) is conducting a pilot study that will generate feasibility and acceptability data on a clinical pharmacist-delivered counseling intervention targeting the modification of unhealthy alcohol use and polypharmacy in PWH. Counseling is guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills-Motivational Interviewing (IMB-MI) model. Herein, we describe the study protocol. This pilot uses a one-group pre-test/post-test design. We will recruit 50 participants from those who participated in the consented cohort of the Veterans Aging Cohort Study. Participants must be prescribed  ≥  5 long-term medications, have a self-reported Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score > 0, and be living with HIV. We will exclude those with moderate-severe alcohol use disorder as identified by an Alcohol Symptom Checklist score  ≥  4. Data are collected using three self-administered surveys (baseline, immediately after booster intervention, and 30-days post-intervention), two PEth blood tests (baseline, 30 days post-intervention), and medication data from the electronic health record (baseline). The intervention includes a 60-minute IMB-MI-based counseling session followed by a booster session 2 weeks later. Some participants will also be asked to participate in a qualitative interview to provide feedback on the intervention. The pilot investigates the impact of an intervention on alcohol consumption and the use of multiple medications among PWH, exploring how best to reduce bothersome symptoms, communicate risk, and support behavior change in this population.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Acceptability / Adult / Aging / Alcohol Drinking / Alcohol use / Alcoholic beverages / Alcoholism / Alcohols / Amnesia / Behavior change / Behavior modification / Blood tests / Cohort analysis / Communication / Counseling / Counseling - methods / Data / Disorders / Dizziness / Drinking behavior / Drugs / Electronic health records / Electronic medical records / Feasibility / Feasibility Studies / Feedback / Female / Health Psychology / HIV / HIV Infections - complications / HIV Infections - drug therapy / HIV Infections - psychology / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Infectious Diseases / Intervention / Interviews / Male / Medical records / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mental health / Middle Aged / Motivation / Motivational Interviewing / Original Paper / Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Pharmacists / Pilot Projects / Polypharmacy / Population growth / Prescription drugs / Public Health / Qualitative analysis / Research facilities / Risk / Risk communication / Risk reduction / Signs and symptoms / Skills / Social support / Substance use disorder / Symptoms / Veterans