Action Kit for Health Care Organizations Implementing PrEP Programs

The nationally known LGBTQIA+ community health center, Fenway Health, has published a PrEP Action Kit that provides a roadmap for other health care organizations to implement and/or advance existing PrEP prescription programs.

“Advancements in PrEP have been life-changing for the sexual and gender minority communities, especially within communities of color who are disproportionally impacted by HIV,” said Alex Keuroghlian, MD, MPH, Director of Education and Training Programs at The Fenway Institute. The 2 current medications available for PrEP — tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine — have been shown to be well tolerated by patients and when the regimen is strictly adhered to can lower the risk of HIV transmission by more than 90%.

The new PrEP Action Kit provides important information for health care organizations regarding the risk groups for whom PrEP is indicated, common side effects, and steps for managing PrEP (including determining eligibilit), prescribing the proper regimen, and monitoring). The PrEP Action Kit also provides answers to common clinical questions and detailed information on steps for implementing a PrEP prescription program. Three tasks have been identified for implementation: identifying and engaging PrEP candidates, completing the initial and follow-up medical evaluations, and employing health insurance and drug assistance programs to overcome financial barriers. The PrEP Action Kit further lays out multiple strategies that have been successfully used to complete these tasks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 1 million people could benefit from taking PrEP; although men who have sex with men (MSM), heterosexually active people who engage in condomless sex, and people who inject drugs have been specifically identified as populations that would benefit, PrEP is also effective among transgender women, cisgender women, and adolescents who are at risk for HIV, especially in minority communities of color. “One in two Black MSM and one in four Latinx MSM will contract HIV in their lifetime. Black transgender women have an especially high risk. The PrEP Action Kit will add real value to health care centers serving Black and Latinx communities at increased risk for HIV,” says Dr Keuroghlian.

Reference

PrEP Action Kit gives health centers new tool for combatting HIV infections. News release.  Fenway Health. https://fenwayhealth.org/. June 16, 2020.