i-Base Q&A resources on PrEP: increased use of off-label PrEP in the UK shows need for NHS support and risk to PEP services
1 October 2015. Related: HIV prevention and transmission.
Simon Collins, HIV i-Base
Since the announcement of the early results of the PROUD study in October 2014, the i-Base information service has received an increasing number of enquiries about PrEP.
This includes requests for information about accessing generic TDF/FTC from online suppliers and on the data for different ways that PrEP can be taken. [1]
Over the last year i-Base has increasingly heard about people accessing PrEP through PEP services, a practice that was highlighted again in a recent popular community blog. [2]
This level of demand supports anecdotal reports that PrEP has been increasingly accessed and used with little or no medical support.
In response, there are now five online Q&A pages that cover most of the questions that have been asked about PrEP. These may be useful referral links for clinics that are getting similar enquiries.
- Where can I buy PrEP or HCV meds online and is it legal in the UK?
https://i-base.info/qa/10734 - How to take PrEP: daily dosing and other options?
https://i-base.info/qa/10743 - How do I safely use PrEP if I buy it online?
https://i-base.info/qa/10528 - Can I check PrEP from the Internet is genuine?
https://i-base.info/qa/10695 - Can I get PrEP privately in the UK?
https://i-base.info/qa/10696
Comment
Many people accessing PrEP via PEP services are likely to be unaware that buying generic PrEP online is both legal and dramatically cheaper than a private prescription.
There is an urgency for routine monitoring of PrEP to be provided as part of NHS sexual services.
References:
- i-Base Q&A service: recent question on PrEP.
https://i-base.info/qa/category/prep - Owens G. Get free P(r)EP on the NHS – NOW. Web blog (12 October 2015).
https://gregowenblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/get-free-prep-on-the-nhs-now