N.L. lags in early HIV diagnosis. Could pharmacies help change that?

The health-care system is not working to ensure people get an early HIV diagnosis in this province, according to two doctors who've studied testing.

Two studies released Friday World AIDS Day look at issues around getting HIV tests.

One looked at why HIV is diagnosed later here than any other province. The other looked at a pilot project to have tests available in pharmacies.

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

Dr. Peter Daley says the issue isn't access to health care. He said people are getting health care for other issues in the lead up to their diagnoses but patients aren't asking for HIV testsand doctors aren't offering them.

"There's denial, there's stigma, there's previous negative interactions with the health-care system," he said.

"In some cases we observed, the patient asked the physician for the test and the physician refused the test."

It's estimated about a quarter of people with HIV don't realize they have the disease.

Daley says HIV testing needs to become more routine.

"Lot of patients get blood testing for a variety of different reasons," he said. "These bloods can be automatically added into an HIV testing algorithm."

Pharmacies could be good option: study

One other solution may be to make tests available in pharmacies as well as at family doctors' offices and public health clinics.

Dr. Debbie Kelly ran a pilot project to have testing available in pharmacies in St. John's and Corner Brook.

In total 89 tests were done over six months.

We heard clients say, "You know, I don't want to be in the lab [in case] my neighbour works in the lab or my neighbour or friend comes into the lab.- Debbie Kelly

Pharmacists were trained to administer a rapid test, giving the patient an immediate result.

Kelly said almost 100 per cent of people who got the test would like to see testing available in pharmacies.

"We heard clients say, 'You know, I don't want to be in the lab [in case] my neighbour works in the lab or my neighbour or friend comes into the lab,'" she said

The testscost $15 but were free during the trial.

"It's not just doing a test. The test is so easy,anybody could be trained to do this test very simply within an hour," said Kelly.

More research needs to be done: Kelly

"The issue is regarding counseling and providing support and in the event that you get somebody who does have a reactive test, what does that mean, and how do you explain that result to someone."

Kelly says her study shows there's promise in this model, but more research needs to be done.

"I think this is going to be part of a larger dialogue around expanding access to testing," she said.

"But I certainly hope that we're going to see the pharmacy-based testing model expanded in the province as well."