US: Kansas healthcare group opens PrEP-specific clinic
A Kansas healthcare group has created a PrEP-specific clinic one day a week meant to expand access to PrEP drug Truvada.
Doctor Sharon Lee of Family Health Care in Kansas City started the Friday-only service last month to aid individuals whose doctor’s are reluctant to prescribe the drug.
Leed told Buzzfeed: “A lot of people were having difficulty because their doctors did not want to prescribe the medication because maybe they were unfamiliar with the medication and not comfortable prescribing it.”
She added: “I’m sure some doctors may have some misgivings for reasons other than familiarity with the drug.”
Lee told Buzzfeed her clinic will offer prescriptions to clients at risk of contracting HIV.
The clinic will do extensive testing prior to prescribing the medication, keeping with CDC guidelines. Check-ups are required every three months to monitor side-effects and to administer more tests.
Clients are expected to also consult their primary physician about taking the drug.
The first visit to the clinic costs about $300 (£178).
Since starting the clinic, Lee told Buzzfeed that doctors at other Kansas medical facilities have contacted her to talk about offering PrEP.
She, however, has not had any appointments so far, but says the interest in the clinic has been increasing since it opened in late July.
She told Buzzfeed: “This new way of doing it as public service has not been picked up on yet, but it will come around. I’m not at all concerned about that.”
