ADVERTISEMENT
Search

Pharmacy-Based HIV Prevention Services

Pharmacy-Based HIV Prevention Services

APhA's Pharmacy-Based HIV Prevention Services Certificate Training Program sets pharmacists up for success when providing HIV prevention and sexual wellness services to their patients. This comprehensive training program reviews HIV as a disease state, pharmacology of currently available PrEP and PEP medications, CDC guideline recommendations for provision of PrEP and PEP, and the building blocks of communication methods for discussing sexual health. In addition to HIV prevention care, this training program will discuss the epidemiology and pathophysiology, screening, and pharmacotherapy of sexually transmitted infections and the importance of providing harm reduction care in your pharmacy.

Member Enrollment  Non-Member Enrollment 

Learning Objectives

Module 1: Terms, Definitions, and Background

A Review of HIV

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Discuss pathophysiology and immunology of HIV, including relevant signs and symptoms.
  • Recall the evolution of HIV care and the HIV care continuum.

HIV Prevention Strategies

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • List the primary modes of HIV transmission.
  • Recall pharmacologic treatment options for HIV prevention.
  • Discuss barriers to HIV prevention efforts.

Defining PrEP and PEP

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the role of antiretrovirals in HIV therapy.
  • List key differences between PrEP and PEP.
  • Recall important moments in the history of PrEP and PEP.
Module 2: PrEP and PEP Uptake and Disparities in Use

Caring for Diverse Populations

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • List populations in the United States most impacted by HIV disease.
  • Describe current trends in uptake of PrEP and PEP against acquisition in the United States.
  • Discuss strategies to improve PrEP and PEP uptake among populations most impacted by HIV.

Syndemics and Ending the HIV Epidemic

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Define the term “syndemic”.
  • List reasons why considering HIV as part of a larger syndemic is necessary to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.
  • Identify strategies that can be implemented in your workplace to address the syndemic of HIV.

HIV and Harm Reduction Strategies

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • List harm reduction strategies.
  • Describe how harm reduction impacts HIV.
Module 3: Pharmacology

PrEP Pharmacology

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the relative effectiveness of available PrEP medications.
  • Compare and contrast available oral PrEP medications.
  • Describe current cabotegravir utility including adherence, follow-up testing, and prescribing requirements.

PEP Pharmacology

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the relative effectiveness of available PEP medications.
  • Compare and contrast available PEP medications.

Adverse Effects of PrEP and PEP

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Discuss start-up syndrome.
  • Identify common and significant adverse effects associated with PrEP and PEP.

Common PrEP and PEP Drug Interactions

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Identify drug interactions associated with PrEP and PEP.
  • Differentiate management of potential drug-drug interactions with the use of PrEP and PEP based on interaction type and severity.
Module 4: Summary of PrEP and PEP Guidelines

Guideline Recommendations: PrEP

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe current indications and contraindications for PrEP.
  • Identify when referral to a physician for PrEP therapy is appropriate.

Guideline Recommendations: PEP

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe current indications and contraindications for PEP.
  • Identify when referral to a physician for PEP therapy is appropriate.

Patients with Comorbidities

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Discuss approaches to PrEP and PEP therapies in patients with comorbid conditions.
  • Recognize relevant labs for specific patient populations on PrEP and PEP.

Legislative Update

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Explain legislation and steps states have taken to expand pharmacists’ scope in providing PrEP and PEP.
  • Identify education and training requirements for pharmacists to provide PrEP and/or PEP in their state.
Module 5: Review of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of STIs

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Review pathophysiology and epidemiology of STIs including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.
  • Describe symptoms and disease progression of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.

Screening for STIs

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe guideline recommended screening procedures for STIs.
  • Discuss the pharmacist’s role in STI screening.

Pharmacotherapy of STIs

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Identify STI treatment regimens for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.
  • Recognize when PrEP and PEP prescribing may be appropriate in the setting of STI treatment.
Module 6: Communicating About PrEP and PEP with Cultural Humility

Providing Culturally Competent Communication

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe how to communicate with impacted communities.
  • Review definitions and common/accepted terms.

Identifying Barriers to PrEP and PEP

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe how barriers such as social determinants of health and lack of provider education impact access to PrEP and PEP.
  • Discuss how barriers impact uptake of PrEP and PEP.

Removing Stigma

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Discuss approaches in de-stigmatizing the use of PrEP and PEP.

Obtaining a Patient’s History: Beyond PMH

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe principles of inclusivity as they relate to obtaining a sexual and drug history.
  • Discuss best practices in obtaining a sexual and drug history in all patients.
  • Outline key questions to ask and how to respond to questions while obtaining a patient's history.

Trauma-Informed Care: Prescribing PrEP and PEP

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the impact of trauma on an individual’s engagement with HIV prevention services.
  • Review strategies and techniques for integration of trauma-informed care into clinical practice when prescribing and counseling on PrEP and PEP care.

Communicating a Positive Result

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Discuss potentially distressing nature of a new HIV diagnosis.
  • Review best practices for communicating a potentially distressing test result.
  • Outline CDC recommendations and important counseling points regarding HIV infection.
  • Describe impact of effective communication of positive HIV test results.

HIV Prevention Communication Strategies

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Practice general principles of communicating with cultural humility as an effective strategy in HIV prevention.
  • Choose appropriate responses to a patient interaction discussing PrEP.
Module 7: Bringing It All Together

Bringing It All Together: A Case Study

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Assess appropriateness of PrEP or PEP therapy in a patient case.
  • Propose a care plan, including monitoring and laboratory parameters for patients initiated on PrEP or PEP.
Accreditation Information

The American Pharmacists Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. APhA's Pharmacy-Based HIV Prevention Services certificate training program is approved for a total of 12.0 contact hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit (1.2 CEUs). The ACPE Universal Activity Numbers (UAN) for this activity are listed below.

  • Successful completion of the core module component involves passing all assessments following each module with a grade of 50% or higher and the final assessment with a grade of 70% or higher will result in 12 contact hours of CPE credit (1.2 CEUs).
    • ACPE UAN: 0202-0000-24-190-H02-P
    • Release Date: February 28, 2024
    • Expiration Date: February 28, 2027 - PLEASE NOTE: NO Home Study credit granted after this date.
Contributors
Authors
Kevin N. Astle, PharmD
Assistant Professor
University of South Florida Taneja College of Pharmacy
Anthonia Chimezie, PharmD, BCACP, AAHIVP
Clinical Pharmacist
University of California, San Francisco
Jennifer Cocohoba, PharmD, MAS
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
University of California, San Francisco
Della C. Cutchins, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, CAPT USPHS
Public Health Program Specialist/Informaticist
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Betty J. Dong, PharmD, FCCP, FASHP, FAPhA, AAHIVP
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
University of California, San Francisco
Neelam ‘Nelly’ Gazarian, PharmD, MS, AAHIVP, LCDR USPHS
Senior Policy Analyst
Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy
Andrew Gentles, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, FAPhA, CDR USPHS
Senior Regulatory Health Scientist
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Marie Johnston, PharmD, MPH, CDR USPHS
Health Scientist, Division of HIV Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Hailey Keeser, PharmD, AAHIVP, CDCES
Clinical Pharmacist
Vivent Health
Deborah A. Long, PharmD, BCIDP, BCPS, AAHIVP, CDR USPHS
National Infectious Disease Clinical Pharmacist
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps
Maria Lopez, PharmD
President
Mission Wellness
Christina M. Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP
Founder and CEO
The Public Health Pharmacist, PLLC.
Crystal Madrigal, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, CDCES, AAHIVP, CDR USPHS
Supervisory Lead Pharmacist
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps
Alex R. Mills, PharmD, BCACP, AAHIVP
Ambulatory Cardiology Clinical Pharmacist
Community Health Network
Zachary Oleszczuk, PharmD, MSPharm, BCGP
Commander
United States Public Health Service
Tam Phan, PharmD, AAHIVP
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tami Rodriguez, PharmD, MS, BCPS, AAHIVP, CAPT USPHS
Director of Pharmacy Programs
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Haley Sedo, PharmD
PGY2 Pharmacy Resident
Vivent Health
Elizabeth Sherman, PharmD
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Nova Southeastern University
Drew Swigart, PharmD, BCACP, NCPS, AAHIVP, CDR USPHS
Advanced Practice Pharmacist
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Elizabeth Thompson, PharmD, BCGP, AAHIVP, CDR USPHS
HIV Clinical Pharmacist Consultant Program Coordinator
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Paul J. Weidle, PharmD, MPH, CAPT USPHS
Senior Advisor, Division of HIV Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Editors
Lena Choe, PharmD, BCGP, CDR USPHS
Branch Chief, Division of Drug Information
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose
Neelam ‘Nelly’ Gazarian, PharmD, MS, AAHIVP, LCDR USPHS
Senior Policy Analyst
Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy
Deborah A. Long, PharmD, BCIDP, BCPS, AAHIVP, CDR USPHS
National Infectious Disease Clinical Pharmacist
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps
Zachary Oleszczuk, PharmD, MSPharm, BCGP
Commander
United States Public Health Service
Tami Rodriguez, PharmD, MS, BCPS, AAHIVP, CAPT USPHS
Director of Pharmacy Programs
Federal Bureau of Prisons

Development

APhA’s Pharmacy-Based HIV Prevention Services certificate training program was developed by the American Pharmacists Association. Copyright © 2024 by the American Pharmacists Association.

Acknowledgements:

Advisory Board
Betty J. Dong, PharmD, FCCP, FASHP, FAPhA, AAHIVP
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
University of California, San Francisco
Neelam ‘Nelly’ Gazarian, PharmD, MS, AAHIVP, LCDR USPHS
Senior Policy Analyst
Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy
Maria Lopez, PharmD (Chair)
President
Mission Wellness
Alex R. Mills, PharmD, BCACP, AAHIVP
Ambulatory Cardiology Clinical Pharmacist
Community Health Network
Dan Scales, PharmD, AAHIVP
Director of Clinical Pharmacy
Vivent Health
ADVERTISEMENT