Generic PrEP available from December 4th

what the hell!

thereality wrote: »

I imagine that is the branded version from Gilead Sciences called Truvada. Meaghers pharmacy on Baggot St beside the GMHS is apparently charging €85 per month.

You are better off going to a local STI clinic in a hospital. With PrEP you will need a kidney function test and HIV test before you start. Then another HIV test after month one to ensure you are negative. You will need quarterly HIV / kidney function tests to ensure you are negative and your kidneys are ok. If you don't have a medical card, it will have cost you about €300 in GP fees in year 1.

Whereas the likes of the GMHS is free and can actually advise you where is selling generic truvada. I know a few people who went to their GP for advice on PrEP and they were useless.

Ya thanks guys I popped into the local pharmacy today and they'll ring the wholesaler on Monday to find out the price of the generic one. Didn't realise I'd need to do the kidney test. Seems like the GPs aren't very up to date!

thereality

what the hell! wrote: »

Ya thanks guys I popped into the local pharmacy today and they'll ring the wholesaler on Monday to find out the price of the generic one. Didn't realise I'd need to do the kidney test. Seems like the GPs aren't very up to date!

The RRP of it is €100. Meaghers do it for about €85 a month. About 60 pharmacies in Ireland are stocking it(although most are in Dublin and Cork) Apparently South Terrace Pharmacy in Cork stock it

You absolutely have to do a kidney test to start and during it. PrEP was found to reduce kidney function in patients. I know from my last test, my kidney function has reduced marginally. But it is still in the safe range

I think you have to be tested for Hep A&B, as the medicine interacts with that too. You can get free vaccines for Hep A&B if you don't have it

Honeslty

adam88

If your getting this as prep will the pharmacist be under the illusion your poz.

I know I’ll prob get my head bitten off for this but unfortunately the stigma still exists

thereality

adam88 wrote: »

If your getting this as prep will the pharmacist be under the illusion your poz.

I know I’ll prob get my head bitten off for this but unfortunately the stigma still exists

Your pharmacist wont. AFAIK HIV meds are only dispensed from hospital pharmacies to keep the cost of it low and because there is a small demand for it ie there are only a few thousand on HIV meds. Even if all pharmacies stocked it, most HIV patients are on several drugs and not a simple two drug combo like Truvada

Ten of Swords

adam88 wrote: »

If your getting this as prep will the pharmacist be under the illusion your poz.

PrEP can be taken as a preventative measure as well as a treatment, a pharmacist would know this so them drawing any solid conclusion seems unlikely. In any case they dispense medicines to people suffering from all sorts of illnesses and conditions every day of the week, what difference would it make? They won't discuss it with anyone else anyway

maxsmum

Hi all, I was reading about this in an issue of GCN (got it in the cinema, didn't realise was LGBT mag but really good reading!). As a very uneducated straight person who works in health service (but not with LGBT community) can someone answer a basic question for me. I know PREP or something like it used to be given out in A&E in case of an accident, probably still is. What I don't understand is why people are looking to be prescribed it on a regular basis... I must be missing the point - what does it do that condoms don't? And as people say above it doesn't have any effect on all the other STIs? Excuse my ignorance!

Gadgie

maxsmum wrote: »

What I don't understand is why people are looking to be prescribed it on a regular basis... I must be missing the point - what does it do that condoms don't? And as people say above it doesn't have any effect on all the other STIs? Excuse my ignorance!

It needs to be taken regularly to be effective. Some people may use it in addition to condoms, while some may use it as an alternative. But as you say, it doesn't offer protection against other STIs.

Annasopra

maxsmum wrote: »

Hi all, I was reading about this in an issue of GCN (got it in the cinema, didn't realise was LGBT mag but really good reading!). As a very uneducated straight person who works in health service (but not with LGBT community) can someone answer a basic question for me. I know PREP or something like it used to be given out in A&E in case of an accident, probably still is. What I don't understand is why people are looking to be prescribed it on a regular basis... I must be missing the point - what does it do that condoms don't? And as people say above it doesn't have any effect on all the other STIs? Excuse my ignorance!

There is a difference between PEP and PrEP

PEP is post exposure and is prescribed after a potential risk happened
PrEP is pre exposure and prescribed before a potential risk happens

I think HIV Ireland answers your other 2 questions quite well

http://www.hivireland.ie/hiv/prevention/prep/

Taking PrEP before and after being exposed to HIV means there is enough of the drug inside you to block HIV if it gets into your body – before HIV it has the chance to infect you.

PrEP does not prevent other STIs. Condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are the best way to prevent the transmission of HIV and other STIs.

maxsmum

Ok so...
PEP is for those who use condoms but may have an accident eg condom split or those who maybe didnt use a condom but at the time weren't aware of being exposed to HIV.
So PREP is for those who don't/won't use condoms?!
I'm trying not to sound too simplistic but have read it again and again!

Goodshape

maxsmum wrote: »

So PREP is for those who don't/won't use condoms?!
I'm trying not to sound too simplistic but have read it again and again!

Well, no. I'm not sure how better to phrase or than has already been done but maybe just read it again one more time

"PrEP does not prevent other STIs. Condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are the best way to prevent the transmission of HIV and other STIs."


PEP can be taken if you believe you may have been exposed to HIV.

PrEP can be taken to reduce, significantly, the chances of being infected in the first place.

Neither should be used *instead of* condoms and other safe sex practices.

thereality

maxsmum wrote: »

So PREP is for those who don't/won't use condoms?!

Would you say the pill is for women who just don't/won't use condoms?

People take PrEP for a variety of reasons. Some take PrEP as their partner is HIV+ (technically according to the PROUD study if you are HIV+ undetectable, the risk of giving HIV to your HIV - partner is close to zero). Some guys regularly use condoms, they just slip up the odd time. PrEP is far less harsh far than PEP now and again.

I personally think it is very harsh to say that PrEP is just won't use condoms. We don't see anything wrong with straight individuals never using condoms.

If people don't like condoms, why not let them take a daily pill and get tested 4 times a year. We don't sham straight people for not using condoms. Why can't it be the same for gay people?

maxsmum

thereality wrote: »

Would you say the pill is for women who just don't/won't use condoms?

People take PrEP for a variety of reasons. Some take PrEP as their partner is HIV+ (technically according to the PROUD study if you are HIV+ undetectable, the risk of giving HIV to your HIV - partner is close to zero). Some guys regularly use condoms, they just slip up the odd time. PrEP is far less harsh far than PEP now and again.

I personally think it is very harsh to say that PrEP is just won't use condoms. We don't see anything wrong with straight individuals never using condoms.

If people don't like condoms, why not let them take a daily pill and get tested 4 times a year. We don't sham straight people for not using condoms. Why can't it be the same for gay people?

Fair point when you compare it with the pill. I think I get it now. The way I read the article was that the LGBT community are outraged that PREP isn't free and I was struggling to figure out the point of it. However when you compare it with the pill, yeah, it prevents something that's far more expensive to the public purse in the long run and I do think the pill should be made available for free so yep - thanks for clarifying.

Ten of Swords

The cost of subsidized medicines is $5 NZ dollars (approx €3) per prescription. Automatic entitlement to this subsidy is reached once you have filled any 20 prescriptions in one calendar year (you, spouse and dependents over 13 years old are all added up for this calculation). Once you have done this you are entitled to have all other prescriptions for the remainder of the year to be fully subsidized by the government at a cost of $5 NZ dollars per prescription. The scheme runs from Feb 1st to Jan 31st every year.

From March 1st 2018 New Zealand are adding PrEP to the list of subsidized medicines.

The NZ health department have also published guidance on how to import generic PrEP if you are not entitled to subsidized medicine and can't afford Truvada. There is also a map on their site showing all doctors that can prescribe PrEP in all parts of the country.

These are very positive measures in my opinion, I wonder what political courage something like that would take in Ireland.

https://endinghiv.org.nz/stay-safe/prep