The Increasing Role of the Pharmacist in the HIV Care Continuum - Part 1: What Do You Know About PrEP?

Although HIV incidence in the United States has declined over the last decade, the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 37,600 new HIV infections in 2014.1 Moreover, despite the overall gains, certain cohorts remain at particularly high risk of acquiring HIV, including men who have sex with men, heterosexual persons who engage in certain high-risk behaviors, and people who inject drugs.2 As part of a high-impact plan to reduce new HIV infections, the CDC has issued recommendations on the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—in conjunction with other risk-reduction strategies—for certain high-risk populations.2 Many health care providers, however, are unfamiliar with the details of PrEP; this unfamiliarity is often further complicated by misinformation or personal attitudes that negatively affect the management of high-risk individuals.3,4 Pharmacists are well-positioned to help close gaps in HIV prevention via appropriate testing, counseling for at-risk individuals, and patient interactions related to PrEP initiation and ongoing monitoring.5 In this Point-of-Care 101 webinar, expert faculty will discuss recent trends in HIV incidence, CDC guidelines regarding HIV testing, and recommendations on PrEP eligibility and longitudinal prescriptions that are relevant to clinical pharmacists. The goal is to provide practicing pharmacists with the tools they need to participate and collaborate in the provision of HIV prevention and treatment services.

References
1. CDC Fact Sheet. HIV Incidence: Estimated Annual Infections in the U.S., 2008-2014. 2017.
2. US Public Health Service. Preexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the United States−2014: A Clinical Practice Guideline. www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/guidelines/PrEPguidelines2014.pdf. Accessed October 5, 2017.
3. CDC. HIV Surveillance Sup plemental Report 2015; 20 (No. 1). www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/surveillance. Accessed October 5, 2017.
4. Shaeer KM, et al. Exploratory survey of Florida pharmacists' experience, knowledge, and perception of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2014;54(6):610-617.
5. Schafer JJ, et al. ASHP guidelines on pharmacist involvement in HIV care. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2016;73(7):468-494.