Empowering Tennessee Pharmacists to Initiate PrEP Using Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Agreements

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pharmacy Practice
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is crucial for combating the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic.
• Slow PrEP uptake in the USA is hindered by consistent obstacles.
• Integrating pharmacists via collaborative pharmacy practice agreements (CPPAs) is vital for addressing these barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize Tennessee pharmacists' perceptions of initiating PrEP through a CPPA.
• To explore potential strategies for enhancing PrEP accessibility via pharmacy services.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study conducted in Tennessee, USA, in 2021.
• Thematic analysis guided by a framework and specific questions.
• Inductive coding of words and phrases into categories and themes.

Main Results:

• Pharmacists emphasized learning from other states' successful CPPAs for innovative patient care models.
• Pharmacists highlighted the need for public policy advocacy to empower them in initiating PrEP.
• Two key themes emerged regarding pharmacist integration in PrEP management.

Conclusions:

• Tennessee pharmacists are prepared to advocate for streamlined PrEP initiation in pharmacies.
• Findings suggest modifying CPPA regulations or granting independent prescriptive authority can facilitate pharmacist-led PrEP initiatives.
• This study underscores the readiness of pharmacists to play a more active role in HIV prevention.