Get free P(r)EP on the NHS – NOW

You can get Truvada to use as PrEP for free on the NHS – NOW. Here’s how…

There IS actually a way to get PrEP for free on the NHS. It means working the system! And being a little bit dishonest. But if a little white lie is going to get you some free drugs to keep you HIV negative – is it forgivable? This process is called ‘clinic hopping’ more specifically ‘clinic hopping’ for PEP. And claiming a false risk of exposure to HIV

PEP is 4 weeks of treatment that is offered free if you have been at risk or exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours. They will test you for HIV at your appointment and do all the base line liver and kidney tests etc. Some sexual health clinics will give you the whole month of pills straight away at your first appointment. Others will give you 1 week of treatment and then you have to return for a check up at the end of that week and be given your remaining 3 weeks of PEP. So the system is simple. PEP consists of 1 Truvada and 1 Raltegravir pill in the morning and 1 more Raltegravir pill in the evening. So if you do the math and you are scamming the system for 3 pills a day and only taking 1…you are wasting 2/3 of what it costs the NHS to provide that. PrEP guys only need/want the 1 Truvada daily. So you can get PrEP on the NHS but you have to work them by getting them to give you PEP. This ‘clinic hopping’ is already a thing and is already happening in London (a lot) and with the rise of PrEP awareness and the knowledge of this method of accessing it…it will happen a lot more, at a lot of wasted expense to the NHS….Surely someone in the NHS can see this coming and behave proactively NOW to prevent this waste of much needed funds instead of reactively once we’re another year down the line….with thousands of pounds being wasted.

I know of people who will spend 1 day going around 2-3 clinics or A&E departments collecting 3 month’s supply in one day because sexual health clinics here in the UK operate a ‘confidential stand alone service’ and don’t communicate data with each other or your GP without your permission. You can in effect be anonymous at each clinic as you don’t need to provide any ID or proof of address. So at 1 clinic you could be John Smith at another you could be Peter Pepper. Some of these ‘clinic hoppers’ take their PrEP pill every other day so 28 pills actually lasts them 2 months.

I asked a representative from a leading London sexual health clinic about ‘clinic hopping’…

Are you as a clinic aware that ‘clinic hopping’ for PrEP is happening in London?

NHS availability (or otherwise) of certain drugs regarding Hepatitis C (Harvoni/Sofosbuvir ) and HIV protection in the form of PrEP have created a climate of people sourcing their own medicines their own way or sometimes ‘scamming the system’. This is entirely understandable; even heartening that people are being inventive and proactive in their desire to protect themselves and partners from infection. However, it can be dangerous when done in the absence of medical supervision, and so cannot be condoned.

So if a guy managed to get his Truvada as PrEP through this method but had queries or concerns about taking PrEP or his HIV status, what support is there for him?

What we don’t want to happen is for people to be frightened to tell us that they are scamming the system; because even though we may sometimes be limited in the medicines we can prescribe for PrEP and HCV treatment, there is still very helpful advice that our staff are able to give people doing that. No one is going to get reprimanded or told off for telling us how they’re ‘scamming the system’ or how they are trying to stay HIV negative. If someone has a supply of PrEP (regardless of how/where they sourced it) and they need advice then we can give that very practical, medical and lifestyle advice to people wishing to stay negative. We don’t want people to avoid us or omit truths because they are frightened they are going to get in trouble. We are aware there is a climate of  scamming or ‘clinic hopping’ for medicines and – though we can’t condone it – we encourage people – guilt free – to come and tell us what they are doing to try to stay HIV negative. The desire to protect ourselves and our partners from infection,  is always an admirable and commendable one; full disclosure, can help us to help you.