To ensure better patient compliance and prevent relapse of tuberculosis (TB), Vellore district has moved to the daily drug regimen for treating TB. The daily regimen rolled out in October end under the Revised National TB Control Programme, is a shift from the thrice-a-week treatment regimen (intermittent drug regimen).
Under the daily regimen, fixed dose combinations of first-line anti-TB drugs will be administered to patients according to their body weight.
Tablets combined
“Till now, patients diagnosed with TB take drugs thrice a week. They had to take seven tablets a day. Four anti-TB drugs were available in the seven tablets. But with this daily regimen, these four drugs have been combined in a single tablet,” said S. Mohammed Afzal Ali, deputy director (Tuberculosis) in-charge, Vellore.
He said that under the thrice-a-week regimen, patients tended to skip tablets. “With daily regimen, the advantages are better patient compliance and less drug toxicity. We can also prevent drug resistance. Moreover, patients cannot miss any drug as all drugs are combined in a single pill,” he added.
However, the daily regimen of anti-TB drugs will be administered only for newly detected cases, he said, adding, “Patients already under treatment for TB will not be disturbed. They will continue to follow the thrice-a-week regimen.”
In Vellore district, a total of 3,070 persons were undergoing treatment for TB as on date. Every year, there were 4,800 new cases, of which 800 were re-treatment cases, he said.
No flexibility
In the thrice-a-week regimen, there was no flexibility of dosages in terms of the patient’s body weight. Paediatric patients fell in the category of less than 30 kg, while adults were classified as 30 to 60 kg. The dosage was the same for all adults whether they weighed 40 kg or 60 kg, he added.
“However, the dosage in the daily regimen is according to the patient’s body weight. There are four weight categories. Those weighing 25 to 39 kg (paediatric group) will have to take two tablets, those weighing 40 to 54 kg will have to take three tablets, 55 to 69 kg will receive four tablets, and those above 70 kg will have to take five tablets. Nevertheless, majority of the patients weigh below 70 kg,” he said.
