People taking ritonavir will find their capsules replaced
by a liquid formulation of the drug when they collect their next prescription.
Due to an unknown manufacturing snarl-up the capsules in which ritonavir is
contained were beginning to come off the production line with a fault which
might affect the absorption, and hence the effectiveness, of the drug.
Abbott Laboratories have announced that they are stopping production of the
capsules until they can find out what is causing the fault, and the company is
urging everyone to switch to the liquid formulation of the drug. A letter to
people who are taking Norvir has been posted on the Abbott website at href="http://intl.norvir.com/letter/unitedkingdom.htm">http://intl.norvir.com/letter/unitedkingdom.htm
However, the switch to the liquid may not be simple and straightforward for
everyone. The liquid tastes very unpleasant to many people, and some people will
find the process of measuring the liquid, carrying it around and doing all this
discreetly a major obstacle to good adherence.
Ways of improving the taste, and options for switching if ritonavir liquid is
not suitable for you or your patients are discussed at the Clinical Care Options
in HIV site by Dr Calvin Cohen.