Specialty pharmacy interventions benefit patients receiving HIV postexposure prophylaxis

Specialty pharmacies service many different complex disease states that require high-cost medication, including the treatment of patients prescribed human immunodeficiency virus postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP requires time-sensitive initiation and patient counseling for therapeutic efficacy.

This study aimed to examine all PEP referrals received at a specialty pharmacy and demonstrate how they aided in interventions including assisting in obtaining financial assistance, making clinical interventions, and offering counseling to patients.

This is an observational retrospective chart review of patients who received PEP from one specialty pharmacy. All patients who filled PEP at the pharmacy between January 1, 2017, and July 1, 2022, were included. Information was collected from documentation provided in the electronic medication record used by the pharmacy. The PEP regimen prescribed were raltegravir (RAL) + emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (FTC/TDF) and dolutegravir (DTG) + FTC/TDF.

A total of 52 patients were treated with PEP during the measurement period. Patients who received a PEP regimen of RAL + FTC/TDF experienced a total cost savings of $1692.60 and $218.40 for those who were fully insured and uninsured, respectively. Patients who received a PEP regimen of DTG + FTC/TDF experienced a total cost savings of $676.20 and $2725.50 for those who were fully insured and uninsured, respectively. Counseling by a pharmacist was offered to all patients and 74.5% of patients accepted. Pharmacists made clinical interventions on 29.4% of PEP referrals.

PEP medications are expensive and time sensitive and can require clinical interventions and specific patient counseling. This study indicates that specialty pharmacies can provide and ensure access to care in the areas of financial assistance, patient counseling, and clinical interventions.