Implementing a pharmacist-led program for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment could improve patient satisfaction and pharmacist acceptability, according to a study from Oxford University cited by Pharmacy Times.
The study, which took place over a one-year period, worked to understand if including a pharmacist in the PrEP care process would reduce the barriers around the prescription and its use.The study was led by pharmacists from a university-based HIV clinic, community pharmacy and two community-based clinics.
The pharmacists in the study conducted PrEP visits with potential candidates for the prevention therapy and prescribed emtricitabine-tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Over the study period, pharmacists tracked retention, patient satisfaction and pharmacist acceptability.
The study authors found that 100 percent of the participants said they would recommend the program. However, the patient retention rate fell to 28 percent by the end of the study period.
None of the patients tested positive for HIV during the study, according to Pharmacy Times.
Pharmacists reported feeling comfortable during the PrEP visits and rarely reported workflow disruption.
Read the full report here.
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