National roadshow to introduce HIV PrEP prescribing to GPs and NPs following PHARMAC change

Following the recent PHARMAC announcement allowing any GPs and Nurse Practitioners to prescribe pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP), the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) and the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) are running education sessions in New Zealand in November for primary care clinicians to learn more about HIV prevention and PrEP.

PrEP is a highly effective method to prevent HIV. PrEP can be used by individuals at risk for HIV, and can be taken one pill a day or on-demand. PrEP has contributed significantly in the decline in new HIV notifications in New Zealand and in other countries.

From 1 October 2019 the criteria for prescribing PHARMAC-funded PrEP have been extended in NZ, allowing any confident GP or nurse practitioner to prescribe PrEP using the “PrEP Special Authority” for eligible patients. This provides a broader access in primary care to patients seeking PrEP.

Throughout November, NZAF and ASHM will be delivering training across New Zealand to provide GPs, Nurse Practitioners, and nurses an update on strategies available for the prevention of HIV transmission, focusing on PrEP. The training will also cover how to screen for PrEP eligibility, sexual health screening, monitoring patients on PrEP, and how to prescribe PrEP.

You can now register for the following training sessions:

13 November 2019 — Wellington
20 November 2019 — Christchurch
21 November 2019 — Hamilton
22 November 2019 — Auckland

Or register for the online webinar on 22 November 2019.

About NZAF:
The New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) has been at the forefront of the community response to HIV in Aotearoa for more than 30 years. Together we are working towards an Aotearoa with zero HIV transmissions, where people living with or affected by HIV flourish.

About ASHM:
ASHM is a peak organisation made up of health professional members in Australia and New Zealand who work in HIV, viral hepatitis, other BBVs and sexually transmissible infections, providing education and training to the health workforce and contributing to the sector, domestically and internationally.