Implementation and acceptance of pharmacists' prescribing of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is highly effective at reducing the risk of acquiring HIV. PrEP is underused due, in part, to prescriber inaccessibility. The overall aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pharmacist PrEP management (includi...
| Published in: | Canadian Pharmacists Journal Vol. 158; no. 5; pp. 302 - 312 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Sage Publications Inc.
Sep/Oct2025
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=188095855&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 188095855 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 17151635 6MXU jtl: Canadian Pharmacists Journal issn: 17151635 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Sep/Oct2025 vid: 158 iid: 5 pid: 20732 pub: Sage Publications Inc. place: Thousand Oaks, California artinfo: ui: 188095855 188095855 188095855 10.1177/17151635251355277 188095855 ppf: 302 ppct: 10 formats: tig: atl: Implementation and acceptance of pharmacists' prescribing of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). aug: au: d'Entremont-Harris, Mackenzie Ramsey, Tasha Diana MacNabb, Kathleen Murphy, Andrea Bishop, Andrea Isenor, Jennifer E. Kelly, Deborah V. Al Hamarneh, Yazid N. Lee, Matthew Ferguson, Abbey Furlotte, Kirk Woodill, Lisa Hatchette, Todd Wilby, Kyle John affil: Pharmacy Department, Nova Scotia Health, Halifax, NS sug: subj: Pharmacists Psychosocial Factors Prescribing Patterns HIV Infections Drug Therapy HIV Infections Risk Factors HIV Infections Prevention and Control Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Drug Monitoring Risk Assessment Implementation Science Patient Attitudes Treatment Outcomes Human Male Female Adolescence Adult Middle Age Aged Aged, 80 and Over Nova Scotia Prospective Studies Health Services Accessibility Medication Compliance Health Policy Legislation and Jurisprudence Coinfection HIV-Positive Persons Homosexuality Transgender Persons Special Populations Sexual and Gender Minorities Conceptual Framework Checklists Health Screening Urinalysis Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors Diagnostic Use Patient Satisfaction Appointments and Schedules Descriptive Statistics Comparative Studies Open-Ended Questionnaires Questionnaires Adolescent: 13-18 years Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Aged: 65+ years Aged, 80 & over Male Female ab: Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is highly effective at reducing the risk of acquiring HIV. PrEP is underused due, in part, to prescriber inaccessibility. The overall aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pharmacist PrEP management (including prescribing and monitoring) on clinical and acceptance outcomes in patients who are at high risk for HIV exposure. Methods: Pharmacist-led PrEP management was guided by a prescribing protocol and implemented at 10 community pharmacies in Nova Scotia over 6 months. Baseline and follow-up bloodwork determined HIV status, coinfection(s), and other eligibility criteria for initial and refill PrEP prescriptions. Patient acceptance was measured according to the theoretical framework for acceptability of health care interventions. Results: Forty-five participants met eligibility criteria, and 37 remained for the study duration. Around half of the participants had never used PrEP before, and all identified as men who have sex with men or transgender women. Participants were highly accepting of the service and agreed that pharmacist-led PrEP management should always be available. Few reported privacy or stigma/discrimination concerns. All participants remained HIV-negative during study participation, and participants with coinfections were linked with care (n = 4). Interpretation: The service was acceptable and effective for patients. Future work is required to reach underserved populations, particularly individuals with injection-related HIV risk factors. Conclusions: Pharmacist-led PrEP management can provide an alternative way to obtain PrEP for higher-risk patients. This study resulted in a regulation change on July 1, 2024 that authorized pharmacists to prescribe PrEP in Nova Scotia. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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