Investigating the potential accessibility to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis via community pharmacies and sexual health clinics: a scoping review of two integrated care systems in London.

BACKGROUND

Despite advancements in HIV prevention, barriers and disparities in accessing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) from specialist services persist. Community pharmacies, with their extensive reach, offer an opportunity to reduce these disparities and help end new HIV infections.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the accessibility of HIV PrEP through community pharmacies and sexual health clinics (SHCs) across two London Integrated Care Systems (ICS) in the United Kingdom (UK). We also sought to assess the potential for community pharmacies to enhance access to PrEP and to address existing gaps in PrEP provision in the UK to gauge the potential for community pharmacies to facilitate easier access to PrEP.

METHODS

We mapped the distribution of pharmacies, PrEP clinics, and SHCs across 11 local authority areas in London, covering North West London ICS and three catchment areas from North Central London ICS using publicly available data, including postcode data. Our selection process for sources of evidence was guided by a set of predefined criteria aimed at identifying community pharmacies and SHCs within the targeted ICSs for their relevance to HIV PrEP accessibility. Two reviewers systematically charted data from each included source. Information extracted included the name of the pharmacy or clinic, address, contact details and operating hours.

RESULTS

Our data collection, spanning from April to July 2022, included 692 community pharmacies. The study revealed that 543 (78.5%) of these pharmacies offered sexual health services, with a significant proportion categorised at Tier 2 according to the Umbrella Sexual Health Model, indicating they are well-positioned to offer PrEP services. The mapping showed an uneven distribution of PrEP and sexual health clinics, with community pharmacies widely accessible and offering longer service hours.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the critical role community pharmacies could play in providing PrEP, addressing gaps in accessibility, and reducing HIV transmission risks, thus potentially facilitating easier access to PrEP. This study supports the need for policy adjustments to enable community pharmacies to dispense PrEP, aligning with public health goals for broader access to HIV preventative measures.