Improving Uptake and Access to HIV PrEP: Managed Care Considerations

Description:,HIV prevention strategies that strive to improve access to preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are extremely important not just from a cost perspective but also in terms of patient quality of life. It is estimated that average all-cause annual and cumulative costs are as much as 7 times higher for persons living with HIV (PLWH) and preventing 1 HIV diagnosis is estimated to save about $230,000 in lifetime costs for an individual. PrEP has shown considerable cost-effectiveness with $27,863/QALY compared with a US willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000/QALY. Consistent PrEP adherence is crucial for successful prevention but has been found to be suboptimal, with 50% of individuals discontinuing treatment within a year, and those at higher risk of HIV acquisition using PrEP less often. After completing this activity, managed care pharmacists will be able to highlight the economic implications of HIV prevention, address barriers to PrEP access and persistence, and understand their role within managed care organizations to provide optimized care for individuals.,Educational Objectives:,At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:,• Examine the economic impact of HIV and prevention initiatives,• Explore barriers to preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and persistence,• Identify the role of managed care organizations in partnering with the health care team to reduce barriers to PrEP and improve access and persistence