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To the Editor: Adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment among patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection is a key issue in controlling viral replication¹ and preventing progression to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) or death.² Assessment of adherence by prescribers often results in overestimating the patient's level of adherence.³ Therefore, simple and reliable tools to independently assess adherence are needed.

Methods

During an ongoing multisite cross-sectional study of adherence to ARV therapy, we tested a pills identification test (PIT). Two hundred twenty-four HIV-infected patients attending outpatient clinics in Caen and Paris-Bichat University hospitals in France were asked to identify the ARV pills they had been prescribed on a board containing 23 ARV pills with 2 similar appearing pills (referred to as twin pills) for each ARV pill (Figure 1). All patients had received the same ARV therapy for at least 3 months. An independent investigator measured the patient's adherence prior . . . [Full Text of this Article]