National University of Lesotho School of Pharmacy

The National University of Lesotho is located in southern Africa and is training teams of pharmacists to care for the older HIV patient population.


HIV treatments and drugs help patients live longer with what has now become a chronic, manageable disease. As HIV-positive patients become older, they are at risk of developing other conditions or diseases that require them to take additional medicines. This creates a greater risk for drug-to-drug interactions and negative effects.

Additionally, many older patients living in rural areas lack the financial ability to visit clinics and hospitals, which is made even more difficult by the fact that specialty care for different conditions often means visiting multiple locations. These patients may not fully understand the importance of their medications, their safe handling and storage, or the potentially harmful effects of drug-to-drug interactions.


The National University of Lesotho’s Pharmacy Department will train and integrate a group of pharmacists into district and primary healthcare teams. These pharmacists will provide education to patients about medications, storage, and handling. To reach those patients in rural areas, a team of pharmacists will travel from Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, to lead group discussions about medication, specifically targeting the older HIV-positive population.