Self-Administration of Augmentation Therapy for Alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency in Italy: a survey study.

<bold>Background:</bold> Given the need for frequent access to an infusion therapy centre, commitment to augmentation therapy with Alpha 1-Antitrypsin (AAT) can be challenging. The prevalence of self-administration of AAT, which can reduce the burden of treatment, has not been clearly established. <bold>Objective:</bold> To investigate the use of self-administration of AAT in Italy and the reasons patients decline to participate in self-administration programs. <bold>Methods:</bold> A telephonic survey based on semi-structured phone interviews with patients currently receiving AAT therapy. <bold>Results:</bold> Only 2 out of 35 (5.7%) patients were successfully managed via self-medication. Fourteen out of 33 (42.4%) were unaware of the feasibility of self-administration and 11 out of 33 (33.3%) declared they would be willing to switch to self-medication following appropriate training. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The use of AAT self-administration is quite limited in Italy. Increased awareness could encourage many patients to consider enrolling in training programs.