HIV Prevention Drugs Will Be Available Without A Prescription In California

[appalachiablue]

Source: LA Times

SACRAMENTO — California will expand access to HIV prevention drugs by allowing pharmacies to offer the medications without a prescription under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday.

Senate Bill 159 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) allows pharmacists to dispense pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP, and post-exposure prophylaxis, known as PEP, in a way similar to birth control and emergency contraceptives. The law will also bar insurance companies from requiring prior authorization before the HIV prevention drugs are provided.

“Recent breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of HIV can literally save lives,” Newsom said in a statement. “All Californians deserve access to PrEP and PEP, two treatments that have transformed our fight against HIV and AIDS. I applaud the Legislature for taking action to expand access to these treatments and getting us close to ending HIV and AIDS for good.”

Studies have shown that people who take the daily medication PrEP dramatically reduce their chances of being infected by an HIV-positive person or from intravenous drug use. For a person who has been exposed to HIV, a pharmacist can dispense PEP, a 28-day supply of daily medication that has been shown to be highly effective.

Supporters of the bill said it removes barriers for people to take the drug, such as having to wait for a doctor’s appointment, which could take weeks. The California Health Benefit Review Program estimated that the bill would result in more than 700 people obtaining the HIV prevention drugs, leading to 25 fewer cases of new HIV transmissions in the first year of the law‘s implementation.

Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-07/over-the-counter-hiv-prevention-drugs-access-prep-pep-california

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~ Outstanding legislation, bravo!

[LogicFirst]

1. Democrats saving lives

while republicans can't come up with health plan.

[cstanleytech]

4. That's not true the Republicans have a plan its simply one where only the rich deserve healthcare.

[Grokenstein]

6. "We have a plan!!"

"It's the Let Them Die in the Street Plan!!"
(thunderous applause from teabaggers most likely to end up dying in the street)

[still_one]

2. WHile this is a positive development, I think the bigger problem will be the out of pocket costs of

the pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs, and it isn't made that clear where that will come from, from those who don't have insurance or the means to buy the drug

[FreeState]

7. It's free already for most people

With my insurance I have just have to pay my co-pay - which a coupon covers. So I pay nothing, which is true of most people I know on PrEP.

Truvada goes generic next fall as well. https://www.healio.com/infectious-disease/hiv-aids/news/online/%7B62f21440-4f18-44cd-b0c9-fb011c28f531%7D/gilead-says-generic-truvada-will-be-available-in-2020

[ToxMarz]

3. That's great he's doing something

But the biggest problem is the price (and bullshit patent law) . About $2000 a month without insurance. The people who have difficulty getting a prescription aren't primarily those who are too impatient to wait for an appointment. They don't have prescriptions because they don't have insurance or a doctor, so they can't afford the over the counter meds either.

[sakabatou]

5. K&R