Pharmacies offer HIV test
July 31, 2014
FOR the first time in Canada,
pharmacies will offer HIV tests.
Vancouver Coastal Health said
as part of a year long pilot, two
Vancouver pharmacies would
offer rapid HIV tests, with results
given on the spot in less than five
minutes.
Communicable Disease Control
medical director Dr Reka Gustafson
said offering HIV testing at more
locations, such as local pharmacies,
helped normalise testing and
reduced the stigma around it.
The tests would be optional
and free, with each of the two
pharmacies situated next to a
walk-in clinic where doctors could
provide support to patients as
well as connect them with care
and treatment, Vancouver Central
Health said.
Gustafson said the organisation
saw too many people who were
newly diagnosed with HIV but
already in advanced stages.
“We can’t stress enough how very
crucial early treatment is for those
infected.”
The Australian government
recently announced it would
remove restriction for manufacture
and sale of home HIV self-test kits
(PD 08 Jul).
The Australian Federation of AIDS
Organisations executive director
Rob Lake said the organisation
would be interested in seeing how
the Canadian trials went.
“Increasing access to HIV testing,
making it simpler and faster are
big goals for us; community based
testing is an important step to do
this.
“For pharmacy, next year’s
introduction of community
dispensing of HIV medicines is
going to be a big deal in making
managing HIV and adherence to
medications easier.”
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