On the spot HIV tests offered at St. John's, Corner Brook pharmacies

Memorial University's pharmacy school is launching a six-month pilot project on Valentines Day to encourage people to get screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The program, called APPROACH, will offer free, fastHIV testing in some pharmacies in Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta.

The goalis to discover whether a community, pharmacy-based HIV screening program is acceptable, feasible and effective in reaching those at high risk and those who have never been tested.

TwoShoppers Drug Marts are participating in the study the locationonLemarchant Road in St. John's and one on West Street in Corner Brook.

Fast and confidential

Clients can request to have their finger pricked in a confidential blood test, in a private room at the pharmacy, without having to make an appointment.

Dr. Debbie Kelly, co-principal investigator with the project, said APPROACH was started under the assumption that people maynot be getting HIV tests for various reasons, such as not having their own doctor.

"We think the pharmacy model lends itself very well to HIV testing," she told theCentral Morning Show.

"Nobody knows why, when somebody goes into the private testing room, whether you're going in there to get a flu shot, if you're going in there for a medication review or if you're going in for an HIV test."

Kelly said in addition to actually administering the test, pharmacists are also trained in counselling, regardless of whether the person tests positive for HIV.

A big part of the program is to gather evidence from smaller communities, sinceright nowmostdata around HIV testing comes from larger centres.

Normalizing testing

HIV testing is not currently part of a routine checkup at the doctor. However new guidelines may require sexually active people to get tested atleast every five years.

After six months, the APPROACHprogram will be reviewed and the input of both clients and pharmacists will be looked at. If it is proven to be a success, Kelly said it could be then rolled out on a bigger scale.

The main goal is to demonstrate that HIV testing can be done in an efficient manner whichrespects people's desire for privacy.

Kelly said the truth is that people simply aren't asking to be testedfor sexually-transmitted infections as much as they should be so the pharmacy program is a way to demonstrate how streamlined it can be.

"The more we can normalize testing and make having that conversation natural, the better," she said. "That being said, I think realistically we are a ways away from that."