Two pints of lager and a packet of PrEP please: London price for HIV PrEP drops to £17.50
19 June 2019. Related: Treatment access, HIV prevention and transmission.
PrEP pints…
Simon Collins, HIV i-Base
The PrEP shop at 56 Dean Street clinic in central London has recently announced new prices for PrEP that are lower than many online suppliers. [1]
Their price for six bottles of PrEP is now £105.00 (£17.50 for 30 tablets). Three bottles now are £60 (£20 a bottle) and a single bottle is £30.
These are prices for NHS patients who are also able to get all related tests and monitoring free. This is not an internet-based service so you need to be able to visit this clinic.
PrEP Shop is also available at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in west London. [6]
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This is the single most important step in broadening uptake to PrEP in England.
For the last ten years the i-Base response to wider PrEP uptake has been that the price needs to be equivalent to a couple of drinks and a packet of condoms. This just about gets us there, certainly for people using on-demand dosing – at least based on London drink prices.
The dramatically lower price from bulk purchasing actually shows how little it would cost for NHE England to now make PrEP widely available free on the NHS. The cost of drugs are actually likely to now be lower than the cost of monitoring – which the NHS already provides free.
There is no longer any ethical or practical reason for NHS England to not provide PrEP free for all who need it.
This information is included in the online edition of the i-Base guide to PrEP and two new updated pocket leaflets including PrEP for Women. [2, 3, 4]
These leaflets and booklets are available free for all NHS clinics. [5]
References
- PrEP shop. 56 Dean Street Clinic.
http://dean.st/prepshop - i-Base. UK guide to PrEP booklet. (online edition).
https://i-base.info/guides/prep/buying-prep-online - i-Base. Pocket guide to PrEP leaflet. (June 2019).
https://i-base.info/prep - Sophia Forum and i-Base. PrEP for Women leaflet. (June 2019).
https://i-base.info/prep - i-Base online order form.
https://i-base.info/forms/order.php - PrEP Shop at the John Hunter Clinic, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
https://www.chelwest.nhs.uk/services/hiv-sexual-health/clinics/john-hunter-clinic-for-sexual-health/prep-shop-at-jhc