Investigating facilitators and barriers to the routine provision of HIV PrEP in community pharmacies in London
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
The United Kingdom’s (UK) integration of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) into community pharmacies presents an alternative avenue for supporting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention. Despite its effectiveness, PrEP's accessibility remains hindered by various barriers within community settings. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of pharmacy team members regarding the barriers and facilitators to the routine provision of PrEP in community pharmacies in the UK, as well as any recommendations for mitigating these challenges.
Methods
Exploratory mixed-method cross-sectional study utilising an online survey and semi-structured interviews with community pharmacists and non-pharmacist team members across the North Thames area of London, England.
A convenience sample of 110 pharmacy team members participated in the study, including both pharmacists and non-pharmacists. Two pharmacy technicians and eight pharmacists took part in semi-structured interviews.
Data collection involved a cross-sectional online survey and semi-structured interviews. The survey collected data such as demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes towards PrEP provision, while interviews explored in-depth perceptions, experiences and recommendations.
Results
A significant proportion of respondents expressed a lack of confidence and knowledge regarding PrEP, with training identified as a critical need for facilitating PrEP provision. Additionally, the study highlighted the potential of community pharmacies to increase accessibility of PrEP due to their geographical reach and the trust placed in pharmacists.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates an interest from community pharmacies in London in providing a commissioned PrEP supply service. However, this would need to be in conjunction with training programmes and public health campaigns to equip community pharmacies for effective PrEP provision. Enhancing pharmacists' competencies and raising public awareness could significantly support the current HIV prevention strategies in the UK.
The United Kingdom’s (UK) integration of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) into community pharmacies presents an alternative avenue for supporting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention. Despite its effectiveness, PrEP's accessibility remains hindered by various barriers within community settings. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of pharmacy team members regarding the barriers and facilitators to the routine provision of PrEP in community pharmacies in the UK, as well as any recommendations for mitigating these challenges.
Methods
Exploratory mixed-method cross-sectional study utilising an online survey and semi-structured interviews with community pharmacists and non-pharmacist team members across the North Thames area of London, England.
A convenience sample of 110 pharmacy team members participated in the study, including both pharmacists and non-pharmacists. Two pharmacy technicians and eight pharmacists took part in semi-structured interviews.
Data collection involved a cross-sectional online survey and semi-structured interviews. The survey collected data such as demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes towards PrEP provision, while interviews explored in-depth perceptions, experiences and recommendations.
Results
A significant proportion of respondents expressed a lack of confidence and knowledge regarding PrEP, with training identified as a critical need for facilitating PrEP provision. Additionally, the study highlighted the potential of community pharmacies to increase accessibility of PrEP due to their geographical reach and the trust placed in pharmacists.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates an interest from community pharmacies in London in providing a commissioned PrEP supply service. However, this would need to be in conjunction with training programmes and public health campaigns to equip community pharmacies for effective PrEP provision. Enhancing pharmacists' competencies and raising public awareness could significantly support the current HIV prevention strategies in the UK.
Date Issued
2025-02-25
Date Acceptance
2025-01-24
Citation
BMC Health Services Research, 2025, 25
ISSN
1472-6963
Publisher
BMC
Journal / Book Title
BMC Health Services Research
Volume
25
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Identifier
10.1186/s12913-025-12336-1
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
312
Date Publish Online
2025-02-25