NAPWHA wish to update our HIV community/ies and organisational members that from 1 March 2020 the Single Tablet Regimen (STR) HIV treatments Eviplera ® (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, emtricitabine and rilpivirine) and Stribild ® (cobicistat, elvitegravir, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) will no longer be available via the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
While transition to newer medicines may be a common part of a drug life cycle, any change requires time for adjustment. Therefore, if you are someone (or working with persons) who will be affected with this change, we strongly encourage you to start consulting with your healthcare professional (prescribing S100 physician or treatment officer) to assist in transitioning to an alternative therapy, well before the delisting comes into effect on 1 March 2020.
This delisting may affect pregnant women and women wishing to conceive, individuals who are already tolerating these regimens and wish to continue them, and individuals who may switch to these regimens for other reasons.
For those who have a medical need for a specific treatment and cannot switch to or be initiated on an alternative PBS-reimbursed regimen, it may be possible for your healthcare professional to apply to Gilead (the pharmaceutical company of these delisted treatment) for compassionate access consideration.
NAPWHA will continue to provide any further information in the coming months as information is released from Gilead Science, and from ASHM (who as the national accreditation CPD provider for HIV S100 Community Prescribing in Australia provides communiques on behalf of their ARV Guideline Committee).
For further NAPWHA inquiries contact Saysana Sirimanotham, Communication and Community Engagement: info@napwha.org.au
