The Health Ministry of Ontario will begin covering Truvada as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill to prevent HIV, reports CBC News.
Effective September 28, the drug will be added to the formulary of medicines covered under Ontario’s public health plan. The cost will vary depending on a person’s income.
What’s more, according to CBC, generic versions are becoming available, which will also drive down costs of the preventive regimen.
“HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis is an excellent tool to prevent HIV infection, and this would make it far more accessible to everybody in the province,” Isaac Bogoch, MD, of Toronto General Hospital, told CBC. “I would anticipate programs like this would be very helpful in reducing rates of HIV.”
Health Canada approved Truvada as PrEP in 2016. Since then, cheaper generic versions have become available in Canada. According to CBC, Quebec’s public plan covers PrEP for HIV treatment and prevention, and British Columbia is considering following suit.
Comments
Comments