England - PreP to be available on NHS

[nullebor]

In all the hoo-hah about CoVID-19 you may have missed the announcement by the UK government that PreP will be made available on the NHS in England (it is already freely available in Scotland and Wales). See the BBC news article: [think before following links] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51897856

[nullebor]

For those unfamiliar with the UK NHS, just to explain that this means: if it is dispensed by/at your local GUM or Sexual Health Clinic then it will be totally free; if obtained on prescription from your own General Practitioner then the pharmacy will charge a standard nominal "Prescription Charge" that basically covers dispensing and administration costs. The drug itself is essentially free of charge.

Edited March 22, 2020 by nullebor

[Starwood]

Also mentioned was that the IMPACT trail was going to end this year. Which figures, as it was to assess Prep in England.

Got my appointment for 10 days time. It is the one where they do kidney and liver check.

But if we are now in "Lockdown", wonder if that will happen, which begs the question;

" If, with these restrictions, is better to save your Prep and stop taking it for 2 weeks and pick up when this is over?"

[Guest]

I'm still trying to get my PrEP prescription refill. Usually I'd get it on the impact trial when getting tested, but my local clinic aren't doing any in-person appointments and reception just keep telling me to ring back another day as there are no nurses available to approve the prescription. Doesn't quite make sense to me, but I don't exactly have other options. It's been almost a month now I've been trying to get the refill. 

[Guest]

I got my PrEP refill. My clinic are still setting up to distribute it to anyone who needs it, but continuing to dispense to Impact Trial folk while that is being done.

[Spunkinmyarse]

I’ve just been to Dean Street for my regular check up, and have come away with my first free PrEP!  I wasn’t on the trial, and have had to pay for it till now, so it was a pleasant surprise!

[Danial]

Hi,

Thats good to hear as I was on the trial but with the Covid restrictions have not had any new supplies. Is it a case of getting in touch with your GU clinic and asking?

Thanks

[Littlebill77]

On 9/28/2020 at 4:43 PM, TheMoreTheMerrier said:

I'm still trying to get my PrEP prescription refill. Usually I'd get it on the impact trial when getting tested, but my local clinic aren't doing any in-person appointments and reception just keep telling me to ring back another day as there are no nurses available to approve the prescription. Doesn't quite make sense to me, but I don't exactly have other options. It's been almost a month now I've been trying to get the refill. 

On the impact trial through my local SHC (iCash cambridgeshire), they have been avoiding all in-person contact but did organise both dispensing (with a careful handoff) and blood tests for kidney function over lockdown.

I also got a refill and made the transition from impact trialee to dispensed prep (same drug/package slightly different stickers).

 

I hope you got your prep sorted; prep and the anxiety it removes makes me very happy.

 

btw don’t be surprised if your SHC is dispensing prep that was marked up for the impact trial - some clinics have a significant stockpile

[Littlebill77]

2 minutes ago, Danial said:

Hi,

Thats good to hear as I was on the trial but with the Covid restrictions have not had any new supplies. Is it a case of getting in touch with your GU clinic and asking?

Thanks

Definitely do talk To the local clinic - ideally the clinical lead for the prep trial at that SHC.  
 

they are recycling left over/unallocated impact prep as stock pipelines for dispensary prep start up.

[Danial]

3 minutes ago, Littlebill77 said:

Definitely do talk To the local clinic - ideally the clinical lead for the prep trial at that SHC.  
 

they are recycling left over/unallocated impact prep as stock pipelines for dispensary prep start up.

Thanks for the advice. I’ll get in touch with my trial clinic.

[Spunkinmyarse]

Dean Street have been open and pretty good throughout: they don’t allow walk-ins anymore, but it seems to be easier to get an appointment than it used to be... perhaps fewer people in London these days?

I live in Essex, and my own SHC was awful when I last tried them: a portakabin in the back streets of Chelmsford.  It’s a bit of a hike for me to get to Dean Street, but it’s doable, and the service is excellent: I almost look forward to going!

[Littlebill77]

37 minutes ago, Spunkinmyarse said:

Dean Street have been open and pretty good throughout: they don’t allow walk-ins anymore, but it seems to be easier to get an appointment than it used to be... perhaps fewer people in London these days?

I live in Essex, and my own SHC was awful when I last tried them: a portakabin in the back streets of Chelmsford.  It’s a bit of a hike for me to get to Dean Street, but it’s doable, and the service is excellent: I almost look forward to going!

Shame they have dropped the walk-ins but DeanSt always gets top points!