Pharmacists’ knowledge and accessibility in nearly every urban and rural community should be leveraged as a core component of comprehensive HIV prevention and care strategies to expand access to services and improve population health. As trusted health care professionals who develop a strong rapport with patients, pharmacists can address disparities in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prescribing patterns and act as essential liaisons between patients and other members of the multi-disciplinary care team.

RxEACH Initiative tool kit

RxEACH Initiative tool kitrxeach.org

 

The expansion of biomedical PrEP options increases the ability to match prevention methods to individual life circumstances. A broader menu of PrEP products enables personalized prevention plans that account for housing stability, work schedules, caregiving responsibilities and other social determinants of health. Pharmacists can counsel patients on comparative benefits, side effects, adherence needs and logistics to support informed choice and sustained use.

 

NMAC’s partnership with the RxEACH Initiative focuses on expanding access to HIV prevention and linkage-to care services through community pharmacies. This kind of partnership demonstrates how national organizations and community pharmacy networks can scale pharmacy-based prevention, integrate referral and case management pathways and provide training and quality assurance for pharmacists delivering HIV services.

 

Recommendations for Policy and Practice

 

  • Authorize pharmacists to provide PrEP in jurisdictions lacking access to primary care or specialist providers.
  • Scale pharmacy- based rapid testing with clear protocols for same-day linkage to prevention and treatment.
  • Fund training and technical assistance for pharmacists on PrEP options, cultural humility and care coordination.
  • Incentivize pharmacy services in medically underserved and rural areas through reimbursement models that cover counseling, testing and initiation visits.
  • Integrate pharmacies into public health data and referral systems to track outcomes, identify gaps and ensure continuity of care.
  • Center equity in outreach to ensure pharmacy- based services intentionally reach communities most affected by HIV.

 

The National HIV/AIDS Strategy notes that community pharmacies and pharmacists represent an underused but powerful resource for expanding HIV prevention and care. Leveraging their accessibility, trust and clinical skills to prescribe PrEP, provide rapid testing and coordinate care will reduce disparities, strengthen retention and adherence and improve population health outcomes. NMAC’s collaboration with the RxEACH Initiative provides a practical blueprint for scaling these services through sustained partnerships and policy change. Go to rxeach.org to view the RxEACH playbook and tool kit.