Bay Area lawmaker looks to improve access to preventative HIV medication PrEP

SAN FRANCISCO – State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, introduced a bill Thursday to improve access to PrEP, the preventative HIV medication. 

If passed, Senate Bill 339 would allow pharmacies to provide PrEP without a prescription and require health plans to cover the cost of pharmacists’ time in preparing the medication.

PrEP reduces the risk of contracting HIV through sexual contact by more than 99 percent and through drug use by at least 74 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The bill follows Senate Bill 159, which authorized pharmacies to furnish up to a 60-day supply of PrEP without a prescription. However, few pharmacies have successfully used the bill. 

Preparing PrEP is a large obstacle for pharmacists and the 60-day-window is too short for a primary care referral. 

SB 339 addresses the gap by ensuring payment for pharmacists for their time and for health plans to cover a 90-day supply of PrEP.

“Each year around 4,000 Californians – disproportionately LGBTQ people and people of color – contract HIV because of barriers to access,” said Wiener. “SB 339 will address the issues with implementing our groundbreaking legislation SB 159, allowing people to access PrEP without seeing a doctor.”