Background: : Disruption of neurocognitive functioning is one of the most frequent complications in patients infected with Human immunodeficiency virus. It manifests as a form of subcortical dementia characterized by psychomotor slowing, changes in mood and anxiety levels and deficits in memory, abstraction, information processing, verbal fluency, decision-making, and attention. The primary objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of neurocognitive impairment among HIV-positive individuals in the Philippines. Methods: : This is a cross-sectional study done at the outpatient department of a tertiary infectious disease hospital located in Manila, Philippines conducted from May to July 2015. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment – Filipino (MoCA-P) was used to differentiate non-cognitively impaired and cognitively impaired participants. Demographic data was obtained using structured interviews including the CD4 count. Results: : One hundred and twelve HIV positive patients were examined and 56.7% of them were noted to have cognitive impairment while none of them met the criteria for dementia. After logistics regression analysis, only the CD4 count (x=224) was shown to have significant association with cognitive impairment (p=0.0001, OR 0.96). Conclusion: Cognitive impairment was significantly associated with low CD4 count, with a sensitivity of 100% for a count of <224. More than half or 58.7% of subjects with cognitive impairment did not show any neuropsychiatric symptoms. Neurocognitive impairment is still an important component of HIV infection and this study highlights the need to further increase awareness regarding this HIV complication.
Cognitive Dysfunction ; Cognitive Dysfunction ; Dementia

Background: The incidence of hypertension and its complications continue to increase in the Philippine Army due to non-adherence resulting in poor health outcomes. Objective: This study implemented a Medication Counseling Program (MCP) for hypertensive soldiers, and assessed the effects of the program on knowledge of disease and treatment (Knowledge), attitude towards medication (Attitude), adherence to treatment (Adherence), and blood pressure (BP). It identified and categorized pharmacist interventions applied during the counseling sessions. The perceptions of patients and physicians on pharmacist's clinical roles were also determined. Methodology: The program was implemented from March to October 2015 in a government hospital for the Philippine Army. Knowledge, attitude, adherence, and BP (converted as mean arterial pressure or MAP) were measured at baseline, 30, 60, and 90th day after initial counseling. Data for pharmacist interventions were collected from patient's documentary form. The interview was conducted to patients after their 90-day counseling period and physicians after the 8-month duration of the program. Results: A total of 20 patients were enrolled in the program, but only 13 patients completed the study. Of the 62 counseling sessions conducted by the pharmacist for the 8-month period, a total of 252 pharmacist interventions were administered. Knowledge, attitude, adherence, and MAP scores improved, and 100 % of the patients achieved normal/controlled BP after the 90-day counseling period. Conclusion A pharmacist MCP intervention may improve a patient's knowledge, attitude, adherence, and BP. The program enabled the pharmacist to apply pharmacist interventions to identified drug-therapy problems of the patients and resolved these through collaboration with the physicians and cooperation of the patients.
Pharmacists ; Military Personnel ; Pharmaceutical Services ; Medication Adherence ; Pharmacies ; Hypertension ; Counseling