Standard Operating Procedures for Antiretroviral Therapy

With significant reduction in the cost of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has become increasingly real for people in low-resource settings. In many countries, governments have developed national guidelines on ART management to define care standards and establish protocols for such areas as eligibility criteria, drug regimens and monitoring HIV-infected clients on ART.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) describe processes and provide instructions to maximize ART service delivery at health facilities in accordance with national guidelines. They guide clinicians in providing ART to HIV-infected clients and in evaluating performance, thereby serving as a quality assurance tool for management.