New Study Finds that Pharmacies Are Not Offering PrEP, Telehealth Fills the Gaps

According to a new study from UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, less than 3% of California community pharmacies are offering PrEP. 

“PrEP uptake remains limited by inequities in healthcare access and other barriers such as low awareness, stigma, and medical mistrust,” the authors of the study wrote. 

PrEP is Essential to Prevention

PrEP is one of the most effective prevention tools for HIV. When taken correctly, it reduces the risk of HIV by up to 99%. If pharmacies are not offering these services, they are limiting the impact that this lifesaving drug can have on communities. 

The study identifies reimbursement as a key issue for pharmacies as they consider offering PrEP. Most pharmacists indicated that they are not actually able to be reimbursed for PrEP services, even though they are entitled to reimbursement per California law. The lack of uptake is a real barrier for public health, according to the study. 

“Almost 5,000 people in California are newly diagnosed with HIV each year with a disproportionate burden of new infections among men who have sex with men and Black and Latine people. Although HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been available in the U.S. since 2012, only 36% of people with indications for PrEP were prescribed it in 2022,” the study reads. 

Telehealth Taking the Lead

This reality makes telehealth all the more critical. Last year, a study in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” found that MISTR is now providing PrEP to nearly one in five users in the United States. People who need PrEP are getting it online. Not only because it is easier, but also because Mistr works with insurance and patient assistance programs so that users don’t have to worry about unexpected costs or wait times. 

If pharmacies don’t provide the care that communities need, people will have to get prevention tools from somewhere. Telehealth can work around traditional barriers faced by in-person providers. While PrEP should be offered in more places, with fewer obstacles, users can trust telehealth platforms to continue delivering care for communities in safe and convenient ways. 

About Mistr

Mistr is a gay-owned and operated online platform that brings together doctors, pharmacists, and industry minds to provide resources and PrEP to folks in need. Instead of relying on insurance providers to approve the purchase of PrEP, Mistr cuts out the middleman to help people get their prescriptions covered.

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