HIV/Aids experts and activists have welcomed a recent court ruling that specially trained pharmacists may prescribe medicine to HIV/Aids and TB patients, alleviating the burden on the health system.
Van der Schyff said in the judgment handed down last week that pharmacists had played “an efficient role” in providing healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic and there was a dire need to widen access toThe IPA argued in its application that the pharmacy council had not given it enough time to comment on the proposed initiative because doctors had been in the midst of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
On 22 March 2021, the pharmacy council published a notice calling for public and stakeholder participation regarding the adoption of Pimart before the director general approved the issuing of permits on 12 August 2021. “We also have the issue of key populations — people who use drugs, sex workers and LGBTQIA+ communities — who are not comfortable to go to public health facilities to access medication. So if a pharmacist is able to issue and prescribe ARVs and TB medication it will mean that we will be able to cover a lot of people.”
“Pimart is one approach that will improve access to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV and those requiring PEP & PrEP.”