Nova Scotia will fund HIV-prevention drug PrEP with pharmacare

Nova Scotia will coverthe HIV-prevention drugPrEPunder the provincial pharmacare program, the government announced Friday.

The government said PrEP,which standsfor pre-exposure prophylaxis, helps preventthe spread of HIV, especially with people at high-risk for infection. It will be covered starting Monday.

The move comes days after CBCNews reported a big increase in HIV cases in Nova Scotia. The province has seen 16 new cases already in 2018, compared to the average of about 16for an entire year.

Dr. Robert Strang, the chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia, said the drug is effective at preventing HIVinfections when people also practice safe sex.

"There is now clear evidence on the effectiveness of PrEP in preventing HIV. Any steps that increase access to PrEP are important contributions to reducing the impact HIV has on individuals, communities and our health care system," he said in a media release.

Strangsaid PrEP can help stop HIV from spreading, along with using condoms and not sharing needles if you use drugs.Once on PrEP, peoplemust have regular check-ups, includingblood tests for other sexually transmitted diseases.

He said people interested in using the drug should talk to a primary health-care provider to find out if they're eligible.

Advocatecallsfor wider coverage

The chairman of the PrEPaction committee calledthe announcement a "symbolic gesture" and said it will have "little to no impact on the reduction of HIV infections in Nova Scotia."

"This announcement is a good, small, first step forward," saidMatthew Numer, who is alsoan assistant professor of health promotion at Dalhousie University."If we're going to really commit to ending HIV, we have all the tools necessary.Let's do it now. We have all the evidence. Let's make a commitment."

Pharmacarehelps Nova Scotians who have no private drug coverage and can prove the cost of prescription drugs have become a financial burden.

Numer saidcoveringthe drug for all who need it would actually benefit the economy. He calculates that if you add up healthcare costs, reduced earnings and quality of life impact, "The lifetime cost for one individual infected with HIV is about $1.3 million."

By contrast, a year's supply of PrEPwould be about$3,000, he said.

Strangsaid he will work with advocacy groups to deal with barriers that come with the government's health plan.